Page 726 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 March 2019

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MR RAMSAY: I thank the member for his question, sort of in the knowledge that the member has taken on himself the role of being able to put out what is or is not happening in the life of outlaw motorcycle gangs. I note that in his social media he has jumped ahead of the police a number of times in stating what is or is not gang related. What the—

Mrs Jones: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat. Mrs Jones on a point of order.

Mrs Jones: Madam Speaker, the question asked of the minister was with regard to the escalation on his watch, not what other members have put on their social media pages or his interpretation of that.

MADAM SPEAKER: The minister was less than 30 seconds into his two-minute answer. The minister will come to the point, I have no doubt, in the time he has left.

MR RAMSAY: Clearly, the responsibility of the government is to ensure that we have, as we do, a safe Canberra. We continue to have a safe Canberra. I take responsibility for ensuring that we do not promote a sense of scaremongering and fear amongst the people of Canberra, which is clearly failing on the other side of this chamber.

Opposition members interjecting—

MADAM SPEAKER: Members! Mr Parton, your supplementary.

MR PARTON: Attorney, can you guarantee to our community that no more women or children will be shot as a result of the ongoing bikie war?

MR RAMSAY: The reality is that no government in the history of democracy has ever been able to guarantee any particular action in the future. It is an outlandish question. It is a gutter politics question that is being asked again today.

What I can guarantee is that we will continue to ensure that Canberra is a safe place to live, as it is at the moment. As is demonstrated by the comparison across other jurisdictions, we are a safe place. We are safer in comparison with other jurisdictions. We will continue to be, and I am proud of the efforts of this government to take seriously the issue of crime in the city, and not just to grandstand on it, in the way that the Canberra Liberals are doing.

MR HANSON: Attorney-General, how many women or children will be shot at before you take responsibility for the ongoing violence in our suburbs?

MR RAMSAY: I reject the outlandish question.

Crime—motorcycle gangs

MRS JONES: My question is to the Attorney-General. On 11 March this year, the Canberra Times reported the following:


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