Page 739 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 5 July 1989

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .


Minister has rightly described as anecdotal information on street crime and the appropriateness of this morning's resolution or this one. As I have said, I think that this is a most appropriate course and is now supported by the Residents Rally and the No Self Government Party, and we should, with a little luck, have a committee looking at this issue in a short time with a view to bringing it back to this Assembly for debate.

One issue which I find of some concern is the complaint from the Leader of the Opposition in relation to consultation. I recalled from question time this morning that the Leader of the Opposition had complained about the quality of consultation on an issue. I think that the sort of consultation that is offered by way of the committee process is one which ought to satisfy the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Party, although it requires some energy, and I would hope that it is not the energy requirements which are so off-putting.

Mr Speaker, I will not speak for too much longer, other than to commend the motion and to say that I will be looking forward to a positive outcome from this committee in the interests of our young and our disadvantaged - the sorts of people who have been at the focus of the debate over the issue of street crime and who have been wrongly targeted, methinks, in terms of the sorts of allegations that have been made about hooligans, louts and so on because those sorts of descriptions have been applied to our young generally. Mr Speaker, I look forward to a positive result in terms of the vote on this debate and a positive result from the committee.

MR STEVENSON (4.41): Mr Speaker, the motion is about possible remedial action for the problems that are being discussed. As a member of the Social Policy Committee I welcome a look at what remedies can be taken for unsocial behaviour. I think that is the way we should go. Certainly we in the Social Policy Committee are busy, but I know that we are interested in looking at causes, not just solutions for problems. So I welcome the opportunity to do that.

MRS NOLAN (4.42): As a member of the Social Policy Committee I too would like to make a couple of comments. I think this morning we spoke in reference to the short term and the long term in relation to behaviour solutions. If we are talking in terms of the short term and the long term, I would suggest that 30 September as the reporting deadline probably comes in the area of the short term. I certainly have problems, given that we are currently in the middle of quite a detailed reference to that committee in relation to the ageing and at the moment the reporting date is 31 August, so it does not give us very much time after 31 August.

Would the Chief Minister consider the deletion from the motion of paragraph (2) and paragraph (3), which is the


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .