Page 2836 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 11 October 2022
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national and multinational businesses in the main. Then we have taxes on land. They are the least distortionary of the three forms of taxation available. That is what every taxation review undertaken in Australia over the last four decades has concluded. So it is those taxes that are the least-worst taxes that can be levied at this level of government.
But if the proposition in Mr Cain’s question is that spending should be cut, then the opposition should come clean on that agenda. The Leader of the Opposition has already hinted at it, with wanting an audit to cut services! (Time expired.)
ACT Policing—Operation TORIC
MR HANSON: My question is to the minister for police. Minister, we have seen some reports of the operations of a police task force called TORIC, which is an acronym for “targeting of recidivists in Canberra”. Recent reports noted that offenders being targeted are “regulars on the ACT court lists, persistent bail breaches offenders and with a list of crimes which would fill a police notebook”. It was also reported that police are being redeployed from other tasks to work on TORIC tasks. Minister, how many officers have been taken from other tasks to take part in TORIC operations?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Mr Hanson for the question. He has raised a very important aspect of police work across the ACT; that is, ensuring the safety of Canberrans on our roads. Operation TORIC has been incredibly successful. It was established to address motor vehicle thefts and associated dangerous driving and other crimes in the ACT. It is focusing on those individuals who are continuing to put the community, themselves and police at risk.
I am pleased to report that Operation TORIC continues to make great progress. As of 4 October, investigators have arrested 78 offenders and laid 225 charges for offences, including aggravated dangerous driving, driving at police—
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, on relevance, he may be getting to it, but the question was how many officers have been moved from other parts to TORIC, not a dissertation on TORIC itself; we know what that is. It is a question on how many officers have been redeployed.
MADAM SPEAKER: Can you come to those areas? I am sure you will, Mr Gentleman.
MR GENTLEMAN: Mr Hanson talks about redeployment; we have an active operational police force that is able to be tasked with different operations day to day. Of course, that is in the purview of the Chief Police Officer, and our police are doing a fantastic job. In response regarding the actual numbers of those moved from different tasks to Operation TORIC, that is a matter for the CPO.
MR HANSON: It is a matter for the Assembly, too, my friend.
Minister, what is the impact on other tasks from officers being deployed to deal with recidivist offenders through Operation TORIC?
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