Page 730 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 March 2019
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Mr Coe: Are you a gang member, Gordon?
MR RAMSAY: Again, I note that what I have said constantly in this—
Ms Berry: Point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Minister.
Ms Berry: Mr Coe, the Leader of the Opposition, just called out across the chamber asking if the Attorney-General, the first lawmaker in this town, was a member of a gang.
MADAM SPEAKER: That is an inappropriate contribution, Mr Coe. Please keep yourself in line and stop interjections. Attorney, you have a minute left.
MR RAMSAY: I note the research in terms of the effectiveness of the laws. I refer members opposite to the most recent research in that area. In fact—
Mr Hanson: A point of order on relevance, if I could, Madam Speaker? The question very much was about the advice from the former Chief Police Officer, who said that the arguments about anti-consorting laws were flawed. It was an invitation to the Attorney-General to point out whether or not that was correct. Could the Attorney-General be relevant?
MADAM SPEAKER: I think we have the gist of the point of order. Minister.
MR RAMSAY: I thank the members opposite for their almost interest in what is going on because when you want to look at matters that are serious such as this, it is important to have all of the evidence and try not to grandstand with particular quotes and half quotes. The evidence is clear. As has been most recently published, criminologists have said, and have demonstrated, that anti-consorting laws are ineffective and distract from finding actual solutions. We will work for actual solutions. (Time expired.)
MISS C BURCH: Was the former Chief Police Officer correct when he warned that without anti-consorting laws we would see more gangs established in the ACT?
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, please. One of your colleagues has asked a question. Why don’t you stop and listen to the answer?
MR RAMSAY: We will work with the latest evidence, and the latest evidence is, as I said before, that anti-consorting laws are not effective. They are not—
Mr Hanson: Again, Madam Speaker, on relevance, the question is very much about whether more gangs were established following the Chief Police Officer’s advice.
MADAM SPEAKER: I am going to rule on the point of order.
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