Senator Jacinta Price calls for children wandering streets of Alice Springs late at night to be removed from their families

Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Price says children wandering the streets of Alice Springs late at night need to be removed from their families. 

Dozens of children – some as young as five – can often be seen walking around the town unsupervised late at night. 

Senator Price said authorities needed to ensure the children were safe. 

“To leave a child in a dysfunctional situation because of their race because somehow being maintained in a dysfunctional family situation is more important to them because of their culture (is wrong),” she told AM Agenda host Laura Jayes.

“What’s more important than upholding their human rights?

“It’s completely un-Australian and (our failure to intervene) is why we are faced with this situation.”

Senator Price also supported calls by Labor MP Marion Scyrmgour to return alcohol bans to Indigenous communities and town camps after they were lifted when the Stronger Futures legislation expired last July. 

Ms Scrymgour told The Australian she had watched lawlessness grow in the town since the bans were lifted. 

“I just find it unacceptable in this day and age that the violence against Aboriginal women in this town raises very little urgency from anyone – it’s appalling,” she said. 

Senator Price said the decision to lift the alcohol bans had been catastrophic. 

“I’ve had phone calls from remote communities where school principals are beside themselves because they’re 500km from Alice Springs and parents are either dumping their children in the community, going back into Alice Springs to buy alcohol, drinking that alcohol on the drive back or taking their children with them while they are drink driving,” she said. 

“Their school’s had to shut down at lunchtime because the teachers’ aides are intoxicated. 

“Alcohol-fuelled violence is now taking control of these communities once again.”

Arrente man Harold Moseley, 42, who was born in Alice Springs, said Aboriginal organisations needed to do more to get the kids off the streets. 

“Spend time with them, teach them the right way,” he said. 

“Sports, their culture, everything. Get them off the streets.”