“Young” people hammered by NT Labor Government

by Gary Meyerhoff, Darwin, Australia, 13 June 2002

The human rights of  "young" (and vulnerable) people in the Territory have always been a target for politicians using the “race card”. Ex- NT Chief Minister, Shane Stone’s Mandatory Sentencing for property offences is a prime example.

Attacks on "young" people have been carried out nationally, to a backdrop of ongoing derision and sensationalism, by the Murdoch/Packer media. Big Business has strong pecuniary interests in exploiting "youth". The "youth" wage. The "youth" allowance. The extension of the age range for the "youth" category now stands at 25.

Until a person reaches the age of 25 they do not have the same rights as people aged over 25.

Influenced and abetted by this sensationalism, politicians continue to scapegoat young people in the NT,  vying  for the position of “hardest” State/Territory when it comes to “young” people's human rights.

Proponents of  zero tolerance policing  include Federal Liberal President  Shane Stone and the current police minister Syd Stirling. Both men travelled to New York in the late nineties (together with Stone!) and returned as true believers in the zero tolerance approach.^[1]

Zero tolerance policing techniques have been consistently implicated in violations of civil and political rights. Evidence has shown that these techniques will invariably discriminate against "young" people and other minority groups. "Young" people already have a high level of street contact with Police and Security guards.

Attacks on "young" people have become just another component of the NT Labor Government’s reactionary agenda. NT Labor has bought into the racist-appeasing policies of the Country Liberal Party and is trying to outdo the CLP, in order to woo the 'bigot vote'.

The Youth Issue

Debate around "youth" issues flared up in the Territory in 2001, in the lead up to the Territory election campaign. Both parties stood on a ‘law and order’ platform, zero tolerance of this, and zero tolerance of that. “Young” people, the local “longgrass” community and drug users were specifically targeted by both of the major parties.

The CLP initiative was the introduction of the Orwellian Public Order and Anti-Social Conduct Act in mid 2001. This Act allowed the police to determine what behaviour is “anti-social”, direct people to cease the behaviour, and arrest them if they failed to cease the behaviour. In the CLP promotional material for this Act, skateboarding was identified as a “crime” and a possible target for the legislation. ^[2]

The implementation of this act was met with outrage. Those opposing the legislation included the NT Criminal Lawyers Association, the Darwin Community Legal Service and the Northern Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service. ^[3]

Houses, nightclubs, parks, shops; could all be declared places of “anti-social” conduct, signposted as such and subject to searches by police without warrants.

NT Labor voted against the legislation in the parliament; because it wasn’t harsh enough on drug users. Around the same time, Labor started to float some of their other “ideas” within the electorate.

They would repeal the Public Order Act replacing it with a broad package of bills. The “Drug House” and asset confiscation laws. ^[4] that would see the same houses and nightclubs signposted “drug house” instead of  “anti-social”.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

The unfortunate fact for the Territory’s "young" people, is that the Labor Party has been elected on false pretences. They are not an alternative to the CLP.

Justice Minister Peter Toyne has promised to implement a youth curfew (in Alice Springs first) and to commence the forced rehabilitation of "young" people and children. The Territory government has begun looking for tenders for a “youth” night patrol service.

The powers of the patrol officers are unknown, but it is expected that they will have the power to detain young people and transport them to so called safe houses. With much anecdotal evidence of human rights abuses against the "longgrass" community being carried out by members of Mission Australia’s existing night patrol service,  Health Minister Jane Aagaard has promised not to call it a "night patrol". It will have a much softer name. ^[5]

Recently, Police and Education minister Stirling even flagged the imprisonment of parents who fail to send their children to school, in an obvious attempt to outdo the CLP for the redneck vote.

Police control NT "Youth" programmes

The prospect of increased funding for the "Juvenile Diversion Unit" has alarming implications for young people. This unit was established with $20 million of Federal funding after pressure from the U.N. on the mandatory sentencing issue. Despite the repeal of mandatory sentencing for property offences, the system is still in place. Why?

Juvenile diversion effectively removes a "young" persons right to silence, supposedly a right of every member of our society (except ‘terrorists’). The diversion program, like the Illicit Drug Diversion initiative faced by drug users, puts the power fully in the hands of police officers. It is up to the police whether or not "young" people go before a magistrate.

To avoid court, "young" people must give a confession, and even after giving a confession, they can be sent to court anyway. If they aren’t sent to court, the police officer decides on the punishment/program that they must attend. Judge Dredd is alive and well (and wearing a brownshirt) in the Territory.

This programme has effectively increased the number of agents of social control in the Territory. Virtually all of the "youth" agencies are dependent on the diversion program for funding, and the NT Police have control, deciding which agencies receive money.

Ex-pot smoking Labor MP's encourage vigilantism

The current approach to illicit drugs in the NT will also impact substantially on young people. The use of mind altering substances has long been part of  "youth culture" (NT Labor Party politicians have admitted their ‘past’ usage) and will therefore put these people at a higher risk of contact with the criminal justice system.

Labors’ law and order mantra is having other serious implications. Two vigilante groups have been established. One in the Darwin suburb of Millner and one in Palmerston. Palmerston’s group, the Palmerston Crime Forum has worked with the Palmerston City Council to develop R.A.T.S. This is the Report A Truant scheme, primarily aimed at "young" indigenous people. The Millner group has resorted to filming "young" people and when they feel it necessary - apprehending people.

There are alternatives to this reactive approach being undertaken by Territory Labor. Unfortunately it seems that they are taking the same head in the sand approach to "youth" issues that they are taking to currently illicit drugs.

Alternatives to Police Control of NT "Youth funding"
The $20 million held in the NT Police coffers for diversion programs should be utilised in positive ways. We should have more Teachers and alternative education programmes for young people who don’t fit into mainstream school. We should have more housing options, Health services and a Legal service for "young" people.

We need to end the blame the victim saga that continues to unfold for generation after generation of Australians.

Stand up for your rights (No Age limit)
Labor’s reactionary agenda needs to be fought at every level. This is a battle that will be fought and won in the streets. Drug users, the Indigenous community and "young" people are all bearing the brunt of zero tolerance policing in the NT and nationally. These groups need to work together to organise a defence. There is already a substantial overlap between these groups. If we do nothing, we become a part of the inevitable slide towards a police state. We aid our oppressors.

"Young" people’s rights, the rights of the Indigenous community, drug users’ rights; these are human rights (y)our rights. Fight for them. Fight for (y)our future.

1.    Zero Tolerance Policing: Implications for Indigenous People
http://www.atsic.gov.au/issues/law_and_justice/zero
_tolerance_policing/report/6ztp.asp#2
"Others who visited New York and Los Angeles with Stone included President of the Law Reform Commission Austin Asche, Syd Stirling the shadow Attorney General, Brian Bates the Commissioner of Police, Andrew Bruyn the Chairman of Crimestoppers and Don Kennedy the Managing Editor of News Limited in the Northern Territory."

2. “Tackling anti-social behaviour.”
Northern Territory Government June 2001

3.   "Northern Territory turning the clock back to 1984."
Sydney Morning Herald 5 July 2001

4.   NT Labor Drug Policy “Building a safer community: Tough on Drugs.”
http://www.nt.alp.org.au/policy/newdirections/nddrugpp.html

5.   “Helping our youth” by John Loizou -- NT News 20/5/02