Page 1564 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 17 May 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Connolly is always happy to suggest that somebody else is responsible for this problem. Mr Connolly is always happy to suggest that perhaps the whole thing is a beat-up by Opposition members of the Assembly. I will show today, Madam Speaker, that there are serious and credible sources of authority to suggest that we have a big problem in this Territory. The longer Mr Connolly, as the Minister responsible for this, continues simply to deny that there is an issue here, the longer this problem will go unaddressed by the Government of the ACT. For too long, I would suggest, there has been - - -
Mr Moore: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Mr Humphries suggested that where there is smoke there is fire, but the statistics I have in front of me show that in the ACT we have actually had a reduction in arson over the last year.
MADAM SPEAKER: It seems to be a day for points of order. Mr Humphries, please proceed.
MR HUMPHRIES: I will not comment on the frivolous point of order.
Mr Berry: I did not see it as a frivolous point of order.
MR HUMPHRIES: I will not even listen to yours. Madam Speaker, my party believes that it is essential for the Legislative Assembly to start to focus on this vitally important issue. For too long the question of crime rates has been a relatively sterile debate between Mr Connolly and me about whose figures on crime are more reliable. It is vital that we all assume some responsibility for this issue; that we all undertake to satisfy ourselves as to how much of this problem is apparent and how much of it is real.
It is clear to me that there are more and more people in this community, especially the elderly, who are feeling unsafe in our community. There are more and more people who have had some exposure to crime in some form in this community, and that is a matter of serious concern. Of course, we can all support preventative policing measures. We can also support the concept that each citizen must keep his or her own guard as the first line of defence against rising crime. But when those measures fail, as they often do, one relies on our police force - or one should be able to. That is everyone's basic entitlement. It is the responsibility of the Government and of this Assembly to ensure that people have a certain basic level of protection. Madam Speaker, as we have wound back police resources in this Territory, so we have put that right to be protected and to feel protected under threat.
I think that people in this Territory see this as a fundamentally important right. My evidence for that assertion - it is only one of many indicators - is the householder survey that was conducted in 1991. Members will recall that at that time citizens were asked to indicate for what purposes they would be happy to see additional rates and charges levied for the expansion of areas of government activity. Members of the community declined to support increases in taxation for education, health, housing or community services; but they did support an increase in taxation for one particular purpose, and that was policing and law and order measures. I suggest to the Government that the response to that question today would be an even more emphatic "Yes, we believe that more money should be spent in that area".
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .