Page 807 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 20 March 2019
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MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries) (10.55): I want to once again thank and congratulate ACT Policing on the work that they do. Through Taskforce Nemesis, ACT Policing continues to proactively disrupt criminal gang members, to deter and detect criminal activity. This includes the confiscation of criminal assets.
Serious and organised crime is not limited to openly identifiable criminal gangs, and ACT police will continue to proactively target, prosecute and disrupt those involved in serious and organised crime in the ACT, regardless of their individual affiliations. ACT Policing has deployed resources flexibly, and will continue to do so, to ensure an appropriate police response to target and disrupt those seeking to cause harm in our community.
In the government’s 2018-19 budget we made a commitment of $1.594 million over four years to bolster the capability of Taskforce Nemesis. It provides one forensic accountant, a surveillance team member and associated equipment and training. These funded positions will enhance ACT Policing’s capability to respond to serious and organised criminal activity in the ACT. Mrs Jones mentioned this figure and said that she looked forward to supporting it. Unfortunately, the Canberra Liberals voted against the budget that supported ACT Policing.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR GENTLEMAN: Mrs Jones laughs across the chamber. Mr Hanson interrupts. When we talk about supporting police, we support them both through resource funding opportunity and also in different legislation, as I rolled out yesterday. If Mrs Jones wants to think that she is supporting police, she can stand up in this place and vote for the funding that we provide for ACT Policing.
I would also like to note Mr Wall’s comments about numbers. There has been a lot of discussion about bikie numbers in the past. I am very pleased that Mr Wall said, “The numbers have not recently changed.” They remain the same, Madam Assistant Speaker. Some of the arguments that we have heard have now been refuted by Mr Wall.
Police have established a whole-of-government inter-agency working group, with representatives from a number of local and commonwealth government agencies, to consider all aspects of criminal gang behaviour in the ACT. The group is based on the commonwealth national anti-gang squad model that brings a whole-of-government approach to addressing the issue. Members of the working group include ACT Policing, ACT Housing, the New South Wales police, the Australian Border Force, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, AUSTRAC, the Department of Human Services and the Australian Taxation Office. It is a broad effort, if you like, dealing with outlaw motorcycle gang activity in the ACT.
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