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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 1 Hansard (8 December) . . Page.. 4042 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

electoral history in the ACT, and our promise to implement cameras without those restrictions was affirmed.

For the Labor Party to rise in this place now and say, "We are in favour of security cameras, so why are they not in place now?" is a little bit much to take. A little bit of indigestion gurgles up in the old tummy when you hear the Opposition say, "We are in favour of cameras. Why aren't they in place? Why haven't they been put there before now?".

Nobody is fooled for one instant by this charade on the part of the Opposition. You people have done your best for the last five years to block cameras at every step of the way. You now see a shift in concern in the ACT towards a concern about a problem with security in public places and a general concern about law and order in this Territory and you have decided to climb on the bandwagon. What was it someone said earlier today about a shift to the Right in ACT politics? Who is climbing on that very same - - -

Mr Stanhope: That was Michael Moore.

MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed, and he was absolutely right. It is just a jump to the right, as I think the song says. And it is true. The Labor Party, which throughout the Third Assembly utterly and resolutely opposed security cameras, now wants to have those cameras in place sooner rather than later. The conditions they sought to impose before - a privacy ombudsman and special camera legislation - appear not to be quite so important now. They do not appear to be anxious for it to happen.

Mr Stanhope: We are doing your job for you. You are just too lazy.

MR HUMPHRIES: You are doing it? You promised that in the last election, more than two years ago. That is your promise. I do not intend to do anything about it. It is not my promise.

Mr Corbell: You do not intend doing anything about it?

MR HUMPHRIES: I do not intend doing anything about a special camera ombudsman or about special camera legislation.

Mr Stanhope: You are going to break your promise? Attorney breaks election promise.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I have to insist - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order, please, Mr Stanhope! I do not know why you people opposite think that by shouting you can drown out debates.

MR HUMPHRIES: At the same time as the Government made a promise in the context of the last election to have security cameras in place, those opposite made a promise of their own. They made a promise to have legislation specifically for cameras and to have an ombudsman, specifically for cameras.

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