Page 1305 - Week 07 - Thursday, 24 August 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
happy to make a statement to the Assembly on our position when that consultation is complete. Mr Speaker, I have also sent Mr Stefaniak some comments on his draft private member's Bill to amend the Liquor Act. I believe that, as for the Act we have here, consultation with affected groups, both private and business, is extremely necessary on that piece of legislation.
To sum up briefly, Mr Speaker, the Government is not totally convinced that this legislation is necessary. We are still concerned that such a power could have the undesirable effect of displacing unacceptable behaviour to less visible, but potentially more hazardous, places; and we remain of the view that such legislation can only deal, in certain cases, with the effect rather than the cause of undesirable public behaviour. We believe that the Social Policy Committee's examination of this wider issue will yield a more fruitful response. However, the Bill as now proposed narrows considerably the proposed power. The amended Bill appears to take account of those civil liberties considerations which the Government has been concerned about right from the outset.
In the circumstances, I urge members not to become complacent and think that this Bill will solve all the problems of public behaviour. We must realise that the causes are diverse and complex, and I hope that members will give as much time and attention to the Social Policy Committee's report as they have to this piece of legislation.
MR HUMPHRIES (10.38): Naturally, Mr Speaker, the Opposition will be supporting this Bill and is more than pleased that today sees the final attempt by the Assembly to address this very important problem - and, I might say, not before time. It has been an issue of great concern to us and it has been an issue of great concern to many people in the community. I need go no further than the opinion poll published in the Canberra Times last weekend to point out that there are many citizens of this city who could not be called, in any sense of the word, totalitarian or authoritarian, who are not interested in subverting the civil liberties which we have developed in this country and which we hold so precious, but who yet support the idea of giving our police powers of the kind that they possess in most other jurisdictions in this country in order to prevent the occurrence of street crime in a fashion which is acceptable to other communities; that is, to move people on who they believe may be in the process of committing, or about to commit, a crime, particularly a violent crime.
I am very pleased that this issue is being addressed today I hope that this will be a major step forward in tackling a problem which is at the very heart of the insecurity of many people in this city. The measure is long overdue. It satisfies the need of the Assembly to address the declining sense of security of many people in this community. That declining sense of security is based not on some
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .