Member for Drysdale Clinton Howe says an inquiry on alcohol-fuelled violence won't happen until 2026
November 5, 2025 • 10 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
An inquiry into alcohol fueled violence, which was requested more
than six months ago. It's looking as so it won't
actually be available until twenty twenty six. That's according to
a report in the Northern Territory News Now. Earlier this year,
residents of Gray raised the issue of drunk and disorderly behavior,
particularly around Victoria Drive and Essington Avenue. It's something that
(00:22):
we've spoken about on numerous occasions on the show, and
we know that the Member for Drysdale, Clinton Howe, then
formally approached the NT Liquor Commission on May one, that
followed a space of particularly violent bashings. He has again,
as I understand it, written to the Liquor Commission in
the last twenty four hours, and the Member for Drysdale,
(00:44):
Clinton Howe, joins me in the studio. Good morning Clinton
Morning listeners. Thanks so much for your time this morning. Now,
from your perspective, what is the latest here when it
comes to this situation.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, So I found out mainly yesterday I got media
inquiries from across the board that the Liquy Commission had
missed its own deadline, and so I wrote to the
Liquor Commission yesterday asking for basically an update and it
kind of please explain what's happened with incredible frustration as well.
(01:19):
I can say that this morning the via media. I
did media earlier this morning as well, and the Commissioner
actually joined that and gave a complete apology to myself
and the mayor as well because she supported. She also
gave a letter of support for this inquiry and so
(01:42):
I thank him for that, and he gave he did
give an update on what we're likely to see. So
he said there'll be probably looking at seven of the
takeaway liquor stores, which is good because I did ask that,
you know, we can't just focus on one, because what
if that's not.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
The actual problem, al Right, you need to look at
them all.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So that was good. We do know we're probably not
going to get this till next.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Year, okay, so how late into next year? Any idea?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I do not know. So And for listeners out there,
because it is an independent commission, I really have no
ability to influence or you.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Know, no nobody does.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
And look, I do think it's important that that independence remains.
So I do think it's really important that the Liquor
Commission does remain independent. But I also think it's really
important that they hear the concerns of territory. And so
I mean, based on what he said, what's the reason
for that delay?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So they spoke about inquiries. I believe in Alice Springs
and what I'd say, and this is I give my
sincere thanks to the journalists from multiple outlets, so yourself
ABC and I know Anti News as well, for putting
actually a spotlight on this and that that pressure. I
(03:00):
think it gives Palmerston a voice. It can amplify my
voice in representing what the locals want. And so yeah,
I thank all the journalists out there who have actually
put a spotlight on this because this is what we
need for Palmerston. Palmerston can sometimes look. The fact is crime.
(03:20):
We heard crime down the Stuart Highway in multiple spots.
Alice Springs got a lot of attention Catherine as well,
and for very good reason. But have no doubt in
Palmerston and especially in my electorate. And I'll also say
in Matt Curle's electorate. A plane crime is just as
bad when it hots up. And we're entering the wet
(03:43):
season where we're seeing that increase in visitors and anti
social behavior. So I'm really keen to make sure we're
not seeing a repeat of the past.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Clinton.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Somebody has just messaged through and asked whether there's any
opportunity for you to request of the Liquor Commission that
they put some interim measures in place here, because.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
You're spot on.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Palmerston does have serious issues when it comes to crime.
And I've spoken about this before to you, when I've
spoken about it on the show. You know, I've been
out there before driving my kids to soccer and there's.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
People absolutely pissed.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Yeah, asleep on the road, you know, fighting all sorts
of things going on, and that's kind of across the road,
like right near the school, right near the the soccer.
Like it's an it's a serious issue. So is there
any chance here that there could be some kind of
interim measures put in place?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Look, it's a good question, And to the listeners text
that in my shorter answers, I don't know, but I
can definitely ask like so, and this is this is
why we need the inquiry. Clinton, How isn't the expert
on alcohol nice? This is what the commission does? Yea,
And so.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Yeah, I mean paint a picture for our listeners though,
for those who maybe haven't been out there for a
while or don't live in Palmerston, don't live around that
area or in your electrode, Like, how serious is this
from your perspective?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Is there?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
You know, like what are you seeing? What are people
experiencing every day?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, definitely. So look this, as I've said before, this
was a major reason of me entering politics. So Palmerston
had just edited it was becoming unlivable. It genuinely was.
And there's a few factors that build into that. It's
the complete over density of public housing. It is then
(05:30):
on top of that, so we've got that over density
of public housing, ease of access to alcohol when visitors
are coming in, and then just basically pissing up in
the parks in the street. As you said, Across where
I'm focusing on, we've got the Gray Primary School, which
is like just the most amazing school and the staff
(05:52):
do such an incredible job, and you've got kids walking
home going to school and they're seeing drunks, disorderly behavior.
Look Throughout the year, we've implemented a range of new
laws and we've done that for good reason, and I
think we're starting to see some improvement, but we are
(06:15):
not job done in Palmerston. So what I you know?
And then we've got the new commissioner in Commissioner Doyle,
and I've got real confidence in the Commissioner, and I
would say, now's his time to you know, he's got
the reins, now's his time to make the changes he
wants to do and change up that policing.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
What do you I mean, like, what do you want
to happen here in an ideal world?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
What's the outcome?
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah, So I think first and foremost there's a few
parts to this that I want to see. So on
the alcohol side, I want a public inquiry to take place.
That way, all the residents that I represent can come
and put their case forward. What we know now will
be seven businesses can put their case forward and the
(07:04):
commission can make their determination. So that's one aspect of it.
On the housing side, I've been very clear I want
to reduce the housing density throughout my electorate and specifically
in Grand Driver. I would be focusing on the super
dense areas first and that would be what we call
out their sin city, which is the flats at twenty
(07:26):
nine Victoria.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I'll get messages about them regularly.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, and I make I make no apologies. I want
to see it bulldozed. There are a number of residents
in there that don't even sleep their katie because they
don't feel safe, so they'll use it for the day
and then they're going to families property somewhere else in
Palmerston at night.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I've got seniors in there who well, if people are
not appreciating and looking after the public housing that they
are provided, it is a privilege, it is not a right.
And other people in that building should not be leaving
because they feel unsafe. To me, that is a clear
indication that the way in which that public housing is
(08:07):
meant to work it is not happening.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Yeah and yeah, and so this is why this is like,
this is the big ticket I think in fixing this
and the appointment the minister Steve Egen has just appointed
Tom Lemming as the new CEO and that is a
great choice. So mister Lemming has come in, he's identified
(08:31):
it's refreshing to hear like he knows the issues.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
And the way he's described it, which I think was
spot on, is the social license at the moment doesn't
exist for the housing and that's Bothy residents tenants, and
so he wants to get that social license back and
to do that you have to fix the problems.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So for you, a public inquiry is what you'd like
to see into the alcohol is shoes and what's going
on there with those licenses. You also want to see
a reduction in the housing supply. I mean, in an
ideal world, you'd see Sin City bulldoze and do you think.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
That that would sort things out?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It would make a huge difference. Then my next focus
would be probably after that would be Cornwallace Circuit in
Gray as well, which again has real dense housing and
there's real opportunity in this. We have some really old
stock and I genuinely believe we are spending more money.
If you zoom out and looked at five or ten
(09:34):
year timeframes, what are we actually spending on maintenance and
repairs in these properties? And so it's a heck of.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
A lot and those wait times are like nine years
in some cases. So I think we need to make
sure we've got people in there that are going to
do the right thing, that are going to look after
those properties. Clinton we are going to have.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
To leave it there. Please keep us up today.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
As to any movement when it comes to the Liquor
Commission looking into these licenses.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
We'll talk to you again very soon.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Just say just quickly Katie before we go. The other
piece which is great is the police public safety Officers
and they will be coming online at the Starter next
year and they are going to be focusing on housing
and public areas and this is to free up police
as then as well, so that capability. You know, I
think with all this coming online, pushing in all these
(10:23):
different directions, we're going to see some really positive changes.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Clinton Howe, the member for Drysdale. Good to have you
on the show. Thanks so much for your time.
An inquiry into alcohol fueled violence, which was requested more
than six months ago. It's looking as so it won't
actually be available until twenty twenty six. That's according to
a report in the Northern Territory News Now. Earlier this year,
residents of Gray raised the issue of drunk and disorderly behavior,
particularly around Victoria Drive and Essington Avenue. It's something that
(00:22):
we've spoken about on numerous occasions on the show, and
we know that the Member for Drysdale, Clinton Howe, then
formally approached the NT Liquor Commission on May one, that
followed a space of particularly violent bashings. He has again,
as I understand it, written to the Liquor Commission in
the last twenty four hours, and the Member for Drysdale,
(00:44):
Clinton Howe, joins me in the studio. Good morning Clinton
Morning listeners. Thanks so much for your time this morning. Now,
from your perspective, what is the latest here when it
comes to this situation.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, So I found out mainly yesterday I got media
inquiries from across the board that the Liquy Commission had
missed its own deadline, and so I wrote to the
Liquor Commission yesterday asking for basically an update and it
kind of please explain what's happened with incredible frustration as well.
(01:19):
I can say that this morning the via media. I
did media earlier this morning as well, and the Commissioner
actually joined that and gave a complete apology to myself
and the mayor as well because she supported. She also
gave a letter of support for this inquiry and so
(01:42):
I thank him for that, and he gave he did
give an update on what we're likely to see. So
he said there'll be probably looking at seven of the
takeaway liquor stores, which is good because I did ask that,
you know, we can't just focus on one, because what
if that's not.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
The actual problem, al Right, you need to look at
them all.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So that was good. We do know we're probably not
going to get this till next.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Year, okay, so how late into next year? Any idea?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I do not know. So And for listeners out there,
because it is an independent commission, I really have no
ability to influence or you.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Know, no nobody does.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
And look, I do think it's important that that independence remains.
So I do think it's really important that the Liquor
Commission does remain independent. But I also think it's really
important that they hear the concerns of territory. And so
I mean, based on what he said, what's the reason
for that delay?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So they spoke about inquiries. I believe in Alice Springs
and what I'd say, and this is I give my
sincere thanks to the journalists from multiple outlets, so yourself
ABC and I know Anti News as well, for putting
actually a spotlight on this and that that pressure. I
(03:00):
think it gives Palmerston a voice. It can amplify my
voice in representing what the locals want. And so yeah,
I thank all the journalists out there who have actually
put a spotlight on this because this is what we
need for Palmerston. Palmerston can sometimes look. The fact is crime.
(03:20):
We heard crime down the Stuart Highway in multiple spots.
Alice Springs got a lot of attention Catherine as well,
and for very good reason. But have no doubt in
Palmerston and especially in my electorate. And I'll also say
in Matt Curle's electorate. A plane crime is just as
bad when it hots up. And we're entering the wet
(03:43):
season where we're seeing that increase in visitors and anti
social behavior. So I'm really keen to make sure we're
not seeing a repeat of the past.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Clinton.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Somebody has just messaged through and asked whether there's any
opportunity for you to request of the Liquor Commission that
they put some interim measures in place here, because.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
You're spot on.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Palmerston does have serious issues when it comes to crime.
And I've spoken about this before to you, when I've
spoken about it on the show. You know, I've been
out there before driving my kids to soccer and there's.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
People absolutely pissed.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Yeah, asleep on the road, you know, fighting all sorts
of things going on, and that's kind of across the road,
like right near the school, right near the the soccer.
Like it's an it's a serious issue. So is there
any chance here that there could be some kind of
interim measures put in place?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Look, it's a good question, And to the listeners text
that in my shorter answers, I don't know, but I
can definitely ask like so, and this is this is
why we need the inquiry. Clinton, How isn't the expert
on alcohol nice? This is what the commission does? Yea,
And so.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Yeah, I mean paint a picture for our listeners though,
for those who maybe haven't been out there for a
while or don't live in Palmerston, don't live around that
area or in your electrode, Like, how serious is this
from your perspective?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Is there?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
You know, like what are you seeing? What are people
experiencing every day?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, definitely. So look this, as I've said before, this
was a major reason of me entering politics. So Palmerston
had just edited it was becoming unlivable. It genuinely was.
And there's a few factors that build into that. It's
the complete over density of public housing. It is then
(05:30):
on top of that, so we've got that over density
of public housing, ease of access to alcohol when visitors
are coming in, and then just basically pissing up in
the parks in the street. As you said, Across where
I'm focusing on, we've got the Gray Primary School, which
is like just the most amazing school and the staff
(05:52):
do such an incredible job, and you've got kids walking
home going to school and they're seeing drunks, disorderly behavior.
Look Throughout the year, we've implemented a range of new
laws and we've done that for good reason, and I
think we're starting to see some improvement, but we are
(06:15):
not job done in Palmerston. So what I you know?
And then we've got the new commissioner in Commissioner Doyle,
and I've got real confidence in the Commissioner, and I
would say, now's his time to you know, he's got
the reins, now's his time to make the changes he
wants to do and change up that policing.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
What do you I mean, like, what do you want
to happen here in an ideal world?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
What's the outcome?
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah, So I think first and foremost there's a few
parts to this that I want to see. So on
the alcohol side, I want a public inquiry to take place.
That way, all the residents that I represent can come
and put their case forward. What we know now will
be seven businesses can put their case forward and the
(07:04):
commission can make their determination. So that's one aspect of it.
On the housing side, I've been very clear I want
to reduce the housing density throughout my electorate and specifically
in Grand Driver. I would be focusing on the super
dense areas first and that would be what we call
out their sin city, which is the flats at twenty
(07:26):
nine Victoria.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I'll get messages about them regularly.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, and I make I make no apologies. I want
to see it bulldozed. There are a number of residents
in there that don't even sleep their katie because they
don't feel safe, so they'll use it for the day
and then they're going to families property somewhere else in
Palmerston at night.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I've got seniors in there who well, if people are
not appreciating and looking after the public housing that they
are provided, it is a privilege, it is not a right.
And other people in that building should not be leaving
because they feel unsafe. To me, that is a clear
indication that the way in which that public housing is
(08:07):
meant to work it is not happening.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Yeah and yeah, and so this is why this is like,
this is the big ticket I think in fixing this
and the appointment the minister Steve Egen has just appointed
Tom Lemming as the new CEO and that is a
great choice. So mister Lemming has come in, he's identified
(08:31):
it's refreshing to hear like he knows the issues.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
And the way he's described it, which I think was
spot on, is the social license at the moment doesn't
exist for the housing and that's Bothy residents tenants, and
so he wants to get that social license back and
to do that you have to fix the problems.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So for you, a public inquiry is what you'd like
to see into the alcohol is shoes and what's going
on there with those licenses. You also want to see
a reduction in the housing supply. I mean, in an
ideal world, you'd see Sin City bulldoze and do you think.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
That that would sort things out?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It would make a huge difference. Then my next focus
would be probably after that would be Cornwallace Circuit in
Gray as well, which again has real dense housing and
there's real opportunity in this. We have some really old
stock and I genuinely believe we are spending more money.
If you zoom out and looked at five or ten
(09:34):
year timeframes, what are we actually spending on maintenance and
repairs in these properties? And so it's a heck of.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
A lot and those wait times are like nine years
in some cases. So I think we need to make
sure we've got people in there that are going to
do the right thing, that are going to look after
those properties. Clinton we are going to have.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
To leave it there. Please keep us up today.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
As to any movement when it comes to the Liquor
Commission looking into these licenses.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
We'll talk to you again very soon.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Just say just quickly Katie before we go. The other
piece which is great is the police public safety Officers
and they will be coming online at the Starter next
year and they are going to be focusing on housing
and public areas and this is to free up police
as then as well, so that capability. You know, I
think with all this coming online, pushing in all these
(10:23):
different directions, we're going to see some really positive changes.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Clinton Howe, the member for Drysdale. Good to have you
on the show. Thanks so much for your time.
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