Page 3936 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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had come from. There are a range of data sources being thrown about in the public space here, and we need to work through these in an open and discursive way to try to get to the bottom of where some of these are coming from, how we might best analyse them and what they actually mean for us.
MR CAIN: Attorney, given you have just now admitted that a review of the data is needed—
MADAM SPEAKER: No preamble, Mr Cain—to your question.
MR CAIN: Minister, do you accept this need for a review? This self-declared uncertainty of the data source—is this not support for an independent review into sentencing?
MR RATTENBURY: I fundamentally reject Mr Cain’s characterisation of my answer. Even if he was not supposed to have a preamble—it was an incorrect preamble. What I indicated was that we are willing to look at the concerns and questions that have been raised with us. If I stood here and said I was not willing to do that, that would be more of a concern. When people come along with a question, you should take them seriously and at least be willing to have a look at it and provide an answer. I have said I will have a look at it, and I will provide an answer.
ACT Policing—resourcing
MR HANSON: My question is to the Minister for Police. Minister, in recent annual reports hearings, the Chief Police Officer noted the impact of changes to drug laws and the potential increase of drug and dangerous driving in the ACT. The Australian Federal Police Association have raised similar concerns, particularly in light of recent tragic drug-driving incidents and also that current drug-driving tests do not cover all of the drugs that have been decriminalised. Minister, what extra resources are being put in place to address the concerns of the CPO and the AFPA and keep Canberrans safe from drug drivers?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Mr Hanson for his question. It is an important one. As I have said before in this place, we do resource ACT Policing and have increased resourcing every year since I have been the minister. That shows in the results that ACT Policing are achieving. That is the opportunity for us to support ACT Policing in the work that they do, and they are being very successful, particularly, most recently, with Operation TORIC, quite a number of arrests were made of offenders who have committed several crimes in relation to driving and drug use as well.
MR HANSON: Minister, what legislative changes will be needed to ensure the drugs that are now decriminalised are detectable by police? Will you commit to make those changes?
MR GENTLEMAN: I am always happy to work with ACT Policing on what legislative changes they require to keep Canberra safe. Canberra is, of course, one of the safest cities in Australia—well reported in our RoGS and well reported by ACT Policing. So, if they require some legislative change, I am very happy to work with them.
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