Page 71 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 8 February 2022
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This year the ACT government began proactively contacting homebound community members who received first and second doses at our clinics to offer a booster. I am pleased to advise that this initiative has been really well received, with excellent uptake. To provide all children with the opportunity to receive their first vaccination before school restarted, the Equity to Access program also provided dedicated vaccination clinics for five to 11-year-olds at Malkara and Cranleigh specialist schools. The team will return to these schools during March to provide second doses.
The Access and Sensory clinic in Weston is now also offering booster vaccinations plus paediatric vaccination for children who are five to 11 years old. Through the ongoing commitment and tireless work of our health professionals, the ACT community can be confident receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, and be confident that this is accessible to every eligible Canberran.
ACT Policing—public satisfaction
MR PARTON: My question is to the minister for police. Minister, the latest Report on Government Services shows that those people who had contact with police in the latest 12-month reporting period rated their satisfaction with the interaction at 77.6 per cent. This is well below the national average of 81.9 per cent, and the worst of all the police jurisdictions in the country, and continues a long-term decline. Last year, ACT police announced the move away from face-to-face reporting of many crimes and to reporting online. Minister, why has satisfaction with police interactions declined under your watch to be the worst in the country?
MR GENTLEMAN: I do support police in their work across the ACT, and I support their move to modernise the way that they are working with the Canberra community. Of course, you cannot compare particular ROGS data with that of other jurisdictions. We work completely differently to other jurisdictions. We are a smaller jurisdiction. Police are much more agile across the ACT and are able to respond, where possible, in very short time lines. This is what has made us very flexible. The Chief Police Officer has said—indeed, I think he said it to one of our standing committees, most recently—that police are able to respond in 15-minute time limits across the ACT. So it is very difficult to compare this ROGS data to that of other jurisdictions.
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, on a point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Minister.
Mr Hanson: It is on relevance. The question actually was: why has satisfaction with police interactions declined under your watch, to be the worst in the country? He is not going to the decline; he is comparing us with other jurisdictions, but he has not explained why we have declined.
MADAM SPEAKER: I think he is referring to the measurements that are used in ROGS, and I believe that answer is in order. Mr Gentleman, you have 40-odd seconds left.
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