The Northern Territory government says it's been working "around the clock" on new alcohol ban laws set to be introduced to parliament on urgency today.
But as of last night, the Northern Territory opposition and independents said they were yet to be briefed on the legislation Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has promised to pass by the week's end.
After a tumultuous fortnight of political and media pressure, the territory government last week relented to calls for Intervention-style alcohol restrictions to be temporarily reinstated.
The bans will prevent residents in dozens of Aboriginal living areas from purchasing alcohol and bringing it home until agreed alcohol management plans are in place.
These include town camps in and around Alice Springs, where already-high rates of property crime and alcohol-related assaults have spiked since the previous Commonwealth bans lapsed last July.
All sitting Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) look likely to receive a briefing on Tuesday before the legislation reaches parliament later in the day.
"It is certainly not normal process," said opposition whip Joshua Burgoyne.
"The fact that they're having to do this, the fact that they're doing this under urgency, in my time, the only time I've seen this happen was during COVID.
"The people of Alice Springs have already been waiting eight months for changes to be made."
The government is yet to explain how the legislation will interact with anti-discrimination laws.
The government's announcement was welcomed by Aboriginal health groups who had called for a staged transition when the bans expired in July last year.
But east Arnhem Land independent Yingiya Guyula said months since the bans lapsed without appropriate consultation, it was frustrating that they were now being reinstated in the same manner.
"This is something that is once again being imposed on people without consultation," Mr Guyula said.
"People making decisions on behalf of the Indigenous people here – this is not the way it should be."
Mr Burgoyne — who confirmed the Country-Liberal Party will vote for the bans to be restored — said the move was many months late.
"The Labor government said time and time again that there did not need to be any changes," he said.
"They stood by that – they called it racist policy.
"Well, they're now bringing back this racist policy they said they never would."
The opposition has flagged a symbolic no-confidence motion against the Fyles government on law and order issues to be introduced in this week's sittings, but the motion won't be debated until March.
Call to ban alcohol in parliament
Independent Alice Springs MLA Robyn Lambley is set to bring a motion to parliament this week calling for alcohol to be banned in Northern Territory Parliament House, except for during official functions.
"Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly and their staff working in parliament house should not drink alcohol in their workplace," Mrs Lambley told ABC Radio Darwin yesterday.
"I think given the enormity of the problems that we have in the Northern Territory related to alcohol, I think it's just time that we put our hand up and took some restrictions ourselves."
Ms Fyles was asked if she would support Mrs Lambley's motion as a symbolic gesture.
"Alcohol is a legal product, parliament house is used for functions and events, that is where you'll see it consumed," Ms Fyles said.
"I can absolutely assure territorians we're working hard each and every day."
The main organisation representing Alice Springs town camps, Tangentyere Council — which has previously voiced strong opposition to blanket bans — was contacted for comment.
