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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 02 Hansard (Wednesday, 3 March 2004) . . Page.. 609 ..

Wednesday, 3 March 2004

The Assembly met at 10.30 am

MR SPEAKER (Mr Berry) took the chair at 10.30 am and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.

Petition

Police numbers

The following petition was lodged for presentation, by Mr Berry, from 12 residents:

To the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory.

This petition of certain residents of the Australian Capital Territory draws to the attention of the Assembly that there is an urgent need to retain, or transfer back, experienced community police officers to serve within the Australian Capital Territory. Also the current policing levels are under strength in relation to the national average by approximately 120 police officers.

Your petitioners therefore request the Assembly to call on the minister for police to implement urgent programs to increase police numbers in the ACT and retain or transfer back officers who have community policing experience to serve within the Australian Capital Territory.

The clerk having announced that the terms of the petition would be recorded in Hansard and a copy referred to the appropriate minister, the petition was received.

Commissioner for the Family Bill 2004

Mrs Burke, pursuant to notice, presented the bill.

Title read by clerk.

MRS BURKE (10.33): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

Mr Speaker, the family has been acknowledged by the United Nations in its Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as “the natural and fundamental group unit of society entitled to protection by society and the State”. Last night we had a debate in this place on the Human Rights Bill and I guess it will be interesting to see how that legislation will work for the rights of the family.

The Australian Family Association summarises the family as being composed essentially of:

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