Get Alice issues sorted or feds will intervene: MP

FEDERAL Labor MP Marion Scrymgour has warned the Northern Territory government the commonwealth will intervene if it can’t get social order issues under control in Alice Springs.

But the Northern Territory’s Attorney-general says he wants to push ahead with a formal ballot to decide if alcohol should be allowed in Aboriginal town camps. Ms Scrymgour told Sky News that residents in her electorate of Lingiari were living in fear.

“As the federal representative, I’ll be making sure that we don’t walk away from any of the agreements that have been made over the last couple of days,” she said.

“But moving forward the Prime Minister gave a very clear commitment, if the Northern Territory government doesn’t implement what they said that they should, that he will certainly be looking at acting.”

The former Northern Territory deputy chief minister has been arguing since before last year’s federal election that it would be a disaster to allow alcohol back into Aboriginal town camps and smaller Indigenous communities when the Stronger Futures legislation expired last July.

Residents in Alice Springs say there has been mayhem on the streets since July 17 when the bans were lifted.

It is understood there were heated exchanges when the Prime Minister visited Alice Springs on Tuesday and met NT Chief Minster Natasha Fyles, Police Minister Kate Worden and Attorney-general Chansey Paech.

It was agreed the alcohol bans would be reviewed with newly-appointed regional controller Dorelle Anderson asked to conduct a review and report back by February 1.

But the NT government has stepped up its calls for the electoral commission to hold a ballot. “We are willing to take this out to the town camp constituents and let them have a vote as to whether these places should be restricted,” Mr Paech told Sky News.