Media Release from Leader of the Opposition Lia Finocchiaro
Eva Lawler and Labor cannot be trusted to deliver new prisons and the proof is in their failure to open a new Don Dale despite promising it in 2016.
Now they expect Territorians to believe that they will deliver on women’s prisons in Alice Springs and Darwin.
Eva Lawler, who was long term infrastructure minister and is Treasurer - is responsible for Labor’s failure to plan for our bursting prison system. Now on the eve of an election, they are making empty promises they can’t deliver.
Eva Lawler’s announcement today to close NT Health’s critical alcohol and drug rehabilitation facilities and turn them into prisons is again robbing Peter to pay Paul. Her failure to build new infrastructure as the Infrastructure Minister means she can only attempt to repurpose existing facilities, inevitably closing one service to open another.
Unlike Labor, who is closing alcohol rehabilitation facilities to use as prisons, the CLP will invest wisely in dealing with the demand for alcohol by having compulsory alcohol treatment.
Earlier this week, Eva Lawler got all tangled up in Labor’s lies on Don Dale and whether it would be demolished or not, showing she is making it up as she goes along.
And in an astonishing move, she has banned the media from visiting Don Dale– what is Labor hiding?
Our successful Sentenced to a Job that Labor trashed, and our new Sentenced to a Skill programs for youth and adult offenders will transform lives. Expanded work camps in communities for adults and boot camps for youths will provide strong alternative sentencing options.
