In case you missed it, here’s a two-minute rundown of this week’s top stories: From a video capturing escalating youth crime conditions in Alice Springs; to the Opposition lambasting Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s “meaningless” youth crime data; to a new entity in Jabiru that shares directors with an Aboriginal corporation currently under probe; and to an international journalist and a Darwin lawyer castigating Mr Gunner’s ban on the NT Independent.

 

‘We cannot go on like this’: Disturbing video of ‘gang violence’ in Alice Springs street renews calls for action

A “disturbing” video that shows a male being punched and kicked in the head in the middle of an Alice Springs street while young people cheer is being described by residents and political leaders as the latest example in a long series of troubling crime issues that aren’t being addressed in the town.

The video, which appeared on social media, was shot on Saturday night around 11pm on Todd St, and shows a large group of young people in the street as traffic stops and a male is repeatedly assaulted.

Read the full story here.

 

Chief Minister’s Alice Springs youth crime data called out as ‘meaningless spin’ by the Opposition

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has been accused of releasing “meaningless” youth crime data ahead of a visit to Alice Springs this week, which is being called into question by the Opposition after it was reported without scrutiny in an online newspaper.

Mr Gunner and Police Minister Nicole Manison travelled to Alice Springs to hold closed-door meetings with police about the town’s escalating youth crime problems on Wednesday, but did not hold any public meetings.

Read the full story here.

 

Jabiru township and millions of taxpayer cash to be controlled by new entity while previous group faces investigation

The Federal Government is handing back the Jabiru township – the centrepiece of a $446 million rejuvenation master plan – to an organisation that shares directors with an Aboriginal corporation currently under investigation by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations for alleged financial impropriety.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt announced on November 25 that the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation Jabiru Town (GACJT), a new entity, would hold the lease following the passing of legislation to allow its handover in September.

Read the full story here.

 

‘Governments that avoid questions undermine democracy’: Peter Greste calls for Gunner to lift ban on NT Independent

Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s ongoing ban of the NT Independent undermines basic democratic values and is contributing to the erosion of integrity in government, says journalist Peter Greste, who was jailed in Egypt for more than a year while on assignment for Al-Jazeera in 2013.

Greste, who is now the spokesman for the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom (AJF), an Australian organisation that monitors and advocates for press freedoms across the Asia-Pacific region, said Mr Gunner’s undemocratic ban on the free press needs to end.

Read the full story here.

 

‘Falls short of a rational response’: Darwin lawyer says Gunner’s ban of NT Independent appears to breach code of conduct

Pressure continues to mount on Chief Minister Michael Gunner to lift his ban on the NT Independent, after a member of the Darwin legal community joined a growing group of journalism and legal experts across the country calling for the ban to be rescinded, while suggesting the government has breached its own code of conduct.

Ward Keller partner Leon Loganathan said on ABC Radio Darwin Friday morning that the Gunner Government appeared to be breaching the MLA Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards Act, which mandates that all parliamentarians respect the freedom of the press and also respect the independence of the public service.

Read the full story here.