Page 3859 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 19 October 2005
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Secondly, the increase in marketing and promotions activity is consistent with the development of an active public sector land development program, which the LDA is responsible for. Is Mr Seselja seriously suggesting that, having established a public sector Land Development Agency, it should not market what it builds?
Policing—forensics
MR PRATT: My question is to the minister for police. Minister, why did an AFP forensics officer testify in court recently that police do not routinely dust for fingerprints at burglary scenes because burglaries are “high-volume crimes”? Why haven’t you provided enough resources for police forensics, resulting in forensic evidence not being collected from many burglaries and significant delays in court cases due to forensic evidence not being prepared in time?
Mr Stanhope: What has been the reduction in burglaries lately?
MR HARGREAVES: I was afraid that Mr Pratt would ask me a question on urban services. I have not had one from him this year on urban services; they have all come from Mrs Dunne and Mrs Burke. I thought that he might break the mould, but he has not.
I am really pleased to have this one. The Chief Minister has reminded me of our terrible record relating to burglaries over the last 12 months! We have only been able to reduce the incidences by 25 per cent. How terrible is that? What part of 25 per cent don’t you understand? Mr Pratt pulls things out of the newspaper, blessed though the Canberra Times is, turns them into the gospel according to St Stephen, and then comes in here and puts up a paltry question like that.
Mr Smyth: Oh, paltry!
MR HARGREAVES: Paltry. All Mr Pratt has to do is to ask a question of somebody competent and he will get an answer. Mr Speaker, what happens when—
MR SPEAKER: Come to the subject matter of the question.
MR HARGREAVES: I am coming to it, Mr Speaker.
Mr Pratt: You can’t answer it, John; you know that.
MR HARGREAVES: Are you finished? It is your time that you are wasting.
Mr Pratt: No, it is your time, actually.
MR HARGREAVES: I am happy to use up your time.
MR SPEAKER: I am not. Just come to the subject of the matter.
MR HARGREAVES: Mr Speaker, what happens when the police attend burglaries and when they receive telephone reports of burglaries is that they make a professional judgment as to whether a forensics officer ought to attend to take fingerprints and gather
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