Page 3273 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 21 August 2018
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I move:
That the Assembly take note of the paper.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Appropriation Bill 2018-2019
[Cognate bill:
Appropriation (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Bill 2018-2019
Cognate papers:
Estimates 2018-2019—Select Committee report
Estimates 2018-2019—Select Committee—government response]
Debate resumed from 16 August 2018.
Detail stage
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I remind members that in debating order of the day No 1, executive business, they may also address their remarks to executive business order of the day No 2 and Assembly business orders of the day relating to the report of the Select Committee on Estimates 2018-2019 and the government response.
Justice and Community Safety Directorate—Part 1.6
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (11.19): I rise to make remarks on behalf of Mrs Jones on police, emergency services and corrections, and I am grateful to her office for the support that they have provided me in the preparation of this material. This budget, I am afraid, does little to solve the problems faced by our men and women serving on the ground in emergency services. I believe front-line police have not been prioritised, that ambulance services have been neglected and that the prison continues to be a money pit without getting adequate results for this money.
With regard to police, the Canberra Liberals were disappointed to see that the government passed on the opportunity to invest further in our front-line force. In 2010-11 there were 719 sworn police officers serving the territory. Now, under this Labor-Greens government, eight years on, the number has fallen to 684. Let me repeat that: in 2010-11 there were 719. Now there are 684.
The cut of 35 front-line officers compared to the beginning of the decade is proof of this government’s lack of commitment to policing the territory, and it is no surprise that we have seen many areas of crime increasing, most notably the continued and vicious robberies, thefts and break-ins targeted at our local clubs and businesses. This is a growing concern in our community and it is having a huge impact on businesses and the many victims of these crimes.
It would be absolutely shattering to be held at gunpoint or at knifepoint at one of these robberies or hold-ups. And there are many victims of these crimes. Whilst it is easy to think of a robbery as something that is done in the dark of night with few victims, the
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