Page 2541 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 August 2007
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Australian model, which has a separate Courts Administration Authority. This follows the unsuccessful effort by the ACT government and some of its employees to try to prevent Coroner Doogan from completing her inquiry, which posed a threat to the independence of the judiciary. It raised serious concerns about the government’s respect for an independent judiciary. I think the coroner’s idea is worth pursuing.
The jury is still out on the Office of Regulatory Services. The estimates committee recommended that accountability indicators for that office be reviewed with a view to ensuring that they are more comprehensive. In particular, they should include complaints about mortgage services and the level of compliance with workers compensation regulatory schemes. I think the government needs to show that this change has delivered better services to the office’s clients than under the former arrangements.
The review of security cameras is welcome but there has been no money in the outyears for them. It is normal in most budgets, I would think, if you are going to do something to appropriate some money in your forward estimates down the track. It is certainly concerning that the government is not putting security cameras into bus interchanges. In the 2001 election, in its so-called plan for transport, the government promised to install security cameras at ACTION interchanges. That has not been properly done.
It is crucially important that security cameras be upgraded not only around bus interchanges but also in other trouble spots in Canberra as they are a real deterrent. They are a crucial tool when crimes are committed and have been invaluable in fingering people who have committed offences—not only here in Canberra but interstate as well. They have been particularly useful in London in recent times; cameras are everywhere because of anti-terrorist concerns. They have certainly been used to pick up a lot of crime and have led to a lot of criminals being detected.
The opposition welcomes the extra police officers, some 43, who will join the force this year. I again commend the late Audrey Fagan for getting more police out on the beat and getting them visible in the community. Andy Hughes followed it up, and Shane Connolly, of course, is keen to do so. There has been a marked improvement in the last 12 months. But police cannot be everywhere. The AFPA have indicated that we are still 120 police short of the national average. There are still shortages. There are still a lot of cars to go around. The security of citizens is the most important role of any government, and the government does need to do more there. In our dissenting report, Mrs Burke and I have recommended that the ACT government outline a plan to increase the strength of the AFP in the ACT so that it is equivalent to the national average. (Second speaking period taken.)
I am pleased to see some money set aside for a new Belconnen police station. The current station has certainly seen better days, although I do note the great camaraderie there and I commend the people involved in the station.
Mr Stanhope interjecting—
Mr Barr interjecting—
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