Page 2813 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 11 October 2022
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renewed the calls from the Australian Federal Police Association to plead with the Attorney-General to take seriously the community’s concerns about safety.
The families that are suffering as a result of the Attorney-General’s inaction cannot be silenced. Many of the families are represented here today. Our hearts go out to you, and whilst we know that nothing will replace what you have lost, we thank you for the tireless work that you do to ensure that no other family experiences the same tragedy.
The Attorney-General has utterly and completely failed Canberrans. The AFPA could not have put it more plainly than when they said that the police are:
… angry and frustrated at the tokenism and gaslighting being employed by the Attorney-General as a shield from any oversight of his role.
This speaks volumes about the loss of faith and confidence in this Attorney-General that has resulted within our police force. So disappointingly, we see on full display, just this morning, the gaslighting. Today, the Attorney-General characterised Mr Hanson’s call for an independent review into sentencing and bail laws as a call that we think no-one should get bail.
It is utterly wrong. It is dangerous, and it absolutely deflects from what Mr Hanson, what the AFPA and what the victims’ families are calling for. Once again, it confirms, utterly confirms, why he is not fit to continue as Attorney-General. His ongoing charade of wilful ignorance can no longer be tolerated, and it must no longer be tolerated.
The Attorney-General is failing the Canberra community. He has lost the confidence of our police force, and at least one member of his backbench, and must resign. If he refuses to do so, the Chief Minister must step up and stand with the community and put the community’s needs and calls above his political alliance with his Greens colleague and ask for his resignation.
As we saw from the performance from the Chief Minister this morning, it is crystal clear to anyone who listened to the Chief Minister’s contribution to this debate that his priority is his Greens political ally over the pleas from the community. I am actually gobsmacked at the utter disregard that the Chief Minister has shown the families of these victims, who have suffered the most tragic and the most devastating circumstance they will probably ever face in their lives. I am genuinely shocked at the utter disregard.
Perhaps, whilst the Chief Minister is on his high horse about debating the policy first and dismissing the Canberra Liberals call for the Attorney-General to step down, he may be reminded, as Mr Hanson pointed out, that a review of bail and sentencing is something we have been calling for, for a decade.
It is all good for the Chief Minister to say, “put down your weapons, let’s work together,” but he utterly fails to take into consideration the long-term campaign that the Canberra Liberals have fought on behalf of the community, and on behalf of the police, for many, many years. That has fallen on the deaf ears of this government.
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