Page 2212 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 9 May 2012
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MR HANSON (Molonglo) (12.22): At the outset I thank Mrs Dunne for bringing this motion before the Assembly. I think the community would also thank her for having done so. What she is asking for today is eminently reasonable. She is really just asking for statistics and information that one would have thought would be readily available from the Justice and Community Safety Directorate. I think Mr Corbell has indicated, based on my understanding of Mr Rattenbury’s speech, that it is not easily accessible but it could be done manually. Well, do it. That is what Mrs Dunne is saying—get the information.
If someone has to go and trawl through some records, so be it. The response we are getting from the government, with the support of the Greens—who have indicated that, with an amendment, they will be supporting Mr Corbell’s amendment—is: “Oh, it might be a bit too hard. Someone might have to go through some information manually to get what we need to know in the community. You know, it might be a bit hard for someone to have to do that, so let’s not do it. It’s all too difficult.” That is an extraordinary response.
I think we all recognise the importance of bail provisions. I think there is a deep concern in the community that they are not working effectively. The amendments that have been proposed by the Greens-Labor alliance, which say, in effect, “It’s all too hard to get the information the community needs; we won’t do it, we’ll just give you some sort of naff response that really doesn’t provide any information,” are weak. It is a really pathetic response from the Greens and it is a pathetic response from the government. They should hang their heads in shame.
If they were concerned about community safety, if they were genuine about wanting to see some reform of bail provisions, they would do something. But what we see is that they are weak. They do not have the strength, particularly Mr Rattenbury. I am very disappointed. He has the ability and understands, I would hope, the importance of holding the government to account—a rare moment of holding the government to account—just to get some statistics, some information. But even at that point he squibs. He rolls over for his tummy to be tickled by Mr Corbell. Even when it is just a matter of providing some statistics on what is going on with bail provisions, Mr Rattenbury will not stand up for the community. And people wonder why everyone thinks the Greens are weak on law and order and are in a too-cosy alliance with the Labor government. This is a clear example why, and shame on the government, but particularly shame on the Greens.
When I am out at shopping centres or doorknocking, Canberrans regularly tell me they think the ACT is soft on crime. I would like to acknowledge that we have one of the best police forces in the country, which we can be proud of. They are successfully carrying out targeted, effective campaigns on crime, hot spots and repeat offenders. But, unfortunately, these repeat offenders who, given the size of Canberra, are often well known to police, appear to be allowed to remain in the community awaiting their trials without adequate protection for the community or, indeed, for the offenders themselves.
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