Crime, poverty, child neglect and youth suicide are all exacerbated by severe alcohol abuse.
This is not news to those living in the north-west of our State who have watched tragedy after tragedy for many years.
While obvious to some, the release of the Kimberley police dossier this week has rightly put this issue front and centre for all in WA to see.
Sadly, if this was taking place in one of our leafier suburbs, like Floreat, we would be determined to find a solution and it would remain front of mind until such time as one was.
Will we still be talking about alcohol abuse in the Kimberley next week?
Most harrowing are the insights into the final moments of too many young people who chose to take their own lives, many of whom were intoxicated at the time.
These children and young adults should have been enjoying the best time of their lives, but unfortunately become another tragic statistic.
These stories make it clear that combating alcohol abuse is about life and death.
Stricter liquor restrictions in Broome and Derby may help to curb alcohol abuse, and ensuring the Banned Drinkers Register is fit for purpose is clearly one way to control sale of grog to heavy consumers.
Regardless, desperate people will find a way to acquire alcohol and the ongoing supply of “sly grog” is testament to that.
Two years ago, I likened the youth crime wave taking place in the Kimberley to a war zone.
While I copped flak at the time that phrase has since caught on and is now quite mainstream.
Even with liquor restrictions I fear alcohol abuse will become normalised unless we tackle the social issues from multiple angles.
We need to be serious about working with the family structure and ensuring that the next generation is on the right track.
This means keeping kids in school and socially engaged and the home a safe place to be.
Whilst most of the responsibility lies with the Cook State Government, the Federal Government also has a role to play here.
It’s bewildering to me that the Voice was put forward as an urgent solution to closing the gap, but since referendum day the Prime Minister has been completely absent in this space. It seems that there was no plan B after all.
There are things that he and the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, could announce today that I believe could deliver tangible results.
For starters, announce an audit into Commonwealth spending for Indigenous specific programs.
We need a review, not just to reduce waste, but to also highlight the most effective programs that should be backed in. This is particularly important when it comes to youth diversionary programs.
Keeping at-risk youth engaged, developing respect for their local community and away from substance abuse will go a long way to ending intergenerational poverty.
Next, get serious about improving the environment children are growing up in.
This should include announcing a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities and reversing their decision to axe the cashless debit card.
The CDC preserved 80 per cent of welfare funds for essential goods such as food and rent.
This meant parents did not have access to cash to spend on alcohol, drugs and gambling. While the CDC was not implemented in Broome, it was rolled out across the East Kimberley.
Reinstating the card and expanding its coverage should be a priority.
Government should spend less time worrying about the optics and on the symbolic (and so should Woolies) and more on the practical actions that will improve the lives of our most vulnerable Australians.
As we saw in the Northern Territory, successful alcohol bans were removed when the then-chief minister called the bans “racist”.
After domestic violence and property offences skyrocketed, the restrictions had to be reinstated just months later.
Over the next fortnight the focus will inevitably shift to the annual debate surrounding Australia Day. We will see millions of Aussies celebrating our great nation, while others, overwhelmingly non-Indigenous, will gather in our capital cities to protest against the historical wrongs that occurred decades and centuries ago.
Wouldn’t it be great if the same level of passion and focus was applied to fixing the conditions today that cause this devastating generational cycle to roll on and on for many Aboriginal people?
*Published in the West Australian, 12 January 2024
The Hon Melissa Price MP
Federal Member for Durack
Opposition Whip