Page 547 - Week 02 - Thursday, 9 March 2006
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MR QUINLAN: True story.
MR MULCAHY: Mr Speaker, I thank the Treasurer and ask a supplementary question. Does the Treasurer bowl and, if so, how does he get a big spending minister caught out?
MR QUINLAN: As I just said—and I am happy to repeat this—at my last official appearance in the creams I took five-for. In terms of being caught out, usually the bowling is penetrating enough to make most of the fielders superfluous.
Policing—response times
MR PRATT: My question is to the minister for police. Minister, you have repeatedly accused the opposition of scaremongering in relation to community concerns about serious crime problems and a shortage of police resources in Canberra. In fact, in question time yesterday you said, “What they have done is pull out one particular one and try to scare the horses—yet again.” You also said, “I am sick to death of these people opposite frightening people to death.” There is lots of death there!
Minister, the following is a litany of serious incidents that have occurred in Canberra in recent weeks about which the community has expressed their own fears and concerns and which have been reported independently in the media. There have been seven burglaries in three weeks and a spate of vandal attacks at Erindale shops; harassment, robberies and vandalism at Red Hill shops; large crowds of rampaging youths at Tuggeranong Hyperdome; a daylight armed robbery with AK47 shots fired at Kambah shops; a daylight armed hold-up at a Manuka credit union; a gang assault by eight men on a 29-year-old man at Woden—
Mr Stanhope: Is there a question here somewhere?
MR PRATT: You can gag that if you like, Chief Minister. There was a robbery and attack on an 85-year-old woman in Chisholm; the brutal bashing of the son of a Libyan diplomat in Pearce; an early morning ram raid of a bottle shop at Curtin shops; Red Hill residents feeling under siege due to a spate of burglaries; the armed robbery of three women in Campbell by two perpetrators—
Ms MacDonald: On a point of order: standing order 117 (a) requires that questions be brief and relate to a single issue. Is Mr Pratt going to get to the question, because he does not seem to have got to it? It is certainly not brief.
MR SPEAKER: The issue is about policing and Mr Pratt is providing some background to the question. I am sure he is just about to conclude the background and get on to the question.
MR PRATT: As I was saying, there was the armed robbery of three women in Campbell by two perpetrators.
MR SPEAKER: About now would be a good time to get on to the question.
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