NT Govt defends anti-social behaviour policy

The Northern Territory Government's most senior Indigenous politician has rejected claims that the Labor Party's anti-social behaviour policy is racist.

Labor's policy on the issue offers a choice between rehabilitation and jail for people picked up by police for anti-social behaviour on six occasions in a three-month period.

A series of Indigenous groups claim the policy panders to racist attitudes, but Labor's Local Government Minister and the member for Arnhem, John Ah Kit, says that is not the case.

"It's racist if we don't do anything about it," he said. "We cannot sit on our hands, we have to get a bit tough with these habitual drunks."

Mr Ah Kit says the policy does not unfairly target Indigenous people.

"When I see people - my people -begging, swearing, accusing, sleeping on the concrete, defecating here and there, I feel ashamed," he said.

"I feel embarrassed and I don't want to see that happen in the Northern Territory."

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Fri, 03 Jun 2005
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia Web)
Copyright: 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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