NT URGED TO EXTEND JAIL POLICY TO DRUGS

The Northern Territory's ruling Country Liberal Party has called on the
territory's government to extend controversial mandatory sentencing to
include drug traffickers.

The party's annual conference at the weekend supported mandatory minimum
prison terms for drug trafficking as well as for property offences.

"The CLP is absolutely and totally in support of mandatory sentencing,"
party president Suzanne Cavanagh said yesterday.

"We passed a motion calling for the government to introduce mandatory
minimum custodial sentences for people found guilty of trafficking drugs
because as far as we're concerned, the magistrates are not delivering.

"We know that (Chief Minister) Denis Burke doesn't necessarily support that
to the degree that we do."

The motion did not differentiate between adult and juvenile offenders.

The Federal Government has come under fire from United Nations human rights
committees and its own backbench over mandatory sentencing in the Northern
Territory, particularly of the jailing of children.

The regime has been branded racist and in breach of Australia's
international obligations on children's rights.

The conference passed a motion yesterday praising the federal stance
against UN criticism, most recently by the UN Human Rights Committee, which
last month condemned mandatory sentencing in its effect on Aborigines.

The CLP also strongly supported the federal policy of standing by the
rights of Australians issue by issue in the face of UN criticism.