Page 2494 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 31 July 2019

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benefit, he is, of course, free to do so. But that does not detract from the fact that from 1 July stamp duty has been abolished for eligible first homebuyers against all opposition from this party opposite me for the past two elections and undoubtedly heading into a third in a row.

Crime—Yerrabi

MR MILLIGAN: My question is to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. In my electorate of Yerrabi there have been several small businesses targeted, including a ram raid at the IGA at Ngunnawal, and a robbery at the local fish and chip shop and a retail shop in Mitchell. Minister, what is the government doing to help protect local businesses from such destructive and costly crime?

MR GENTLEMAN: We are investing in ACT Policing and providing them with the resources they need to combat these sorts of crimes. I was very pleased to see on Tuesday that a 38-year-old Lyons man and a 37-year-old Rivett man will face the ACT Magistrates Court following an aggravated robbery of a Fyshwick business. On Monday a business in Barrier Street, Fyshwick was rammed by a vehicle, the premises sustained significant damage and an amount of property was stolen. Following the investigation by the criminal investigations team, officers arrested a Rivett man at Coombs, and further investigations led ACT Policing to execute search warrants on premises in Rivett, Lyons and Phillip. At each location police found property stolen in the Fyshwick aggravated burglary and another aggravated burglary. An ACT government depot in Kambah—

Mr Wall: A point of order, Madam Speaker.

MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat, minister, please.

Mr Wall: It is on relevance. Mr Milligan’s question was specifically around offences that had occurred in Yerrabi, at the IGA in Ngunnawal and also in Mitchell. The minister is talking about a series of other offences. Could he please be specific to the question that was asked, or, if they are related, state so.

MADAM SPEAKER: Minister, you have 40 seconds left, and there is a particular location. I understand your response is about the response of police in general.

MR GENTLEMAN: Yes, that is right, Madam Speaker. We are investing in ACT Policing and resourcing ACT Policing. Of course, the question comes: will the opposition approve the budget to support ACT Policing in the coming budget discussion?

Opposition members interjecting

MR GENTLEMAN: They did not last year. They called for more support for ACT Policing; then they voted against the money bill to supply that support.

Mrs Jones: The most useless minister in the government—


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