Page 1315 - Week 07 - Thursday, 24 August 1989
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I was not in the chamber when my colleague Mr Moore spoke, but I assume he indicated to the house that we will move decisively if the guidelines of police issue are not satisfactory and if there is any misuse of this power. I believe my colleague Carmel Maher mirrors that viewpoint.
Mr Speaker, I beg, with respect, to differ with you on one point. There is a Jansenite theory that the individual can suffer for the sake of the majority. I have never subscribed to that theory. It goes back to my work internationally with refugees and the like. I do not believe that the police can ever justify taking action against an individual unless it is fair and equitable treatment that goes across the whole community. I say with respect, Mr Speaker, that the police cannot consider that we have taken a decision to sacrifice the odd individual where this power might be abused, for the sake of a wider good. The fact is that the police should never misuse this power and should never allow themselves to get into a situation where they could abuse it.
I personally will be monitoring this very carefully. On Monday of this week I went down to the Drug Referral Unit and spoke to a marvellous person there, Marion Watson. Her room overlooks Garema Place and I cannot think of a better watchtower to put up over this Bill than the window of the Drug Referral Unit and the very good antennae the women - particularly the women - servicing the community outlets and the outreach points in this town have. Certainly I will be personally monitoring through my own network which I have built up over the years how this Act is attended to. I trust the commissioner will read these comments in the Hansard.
Mr Speaker, the turning point in our relationship with the Australian Labor Party was a debate outside the Assembly after I had indicated to the Chief Minister that I would find a compromise in this situation and do my best to mediate on the widely differing views of the Liberal and Labor parties and attempt to bring in, in the interests of the community and harmony in the Assembly, a workable Bill which the Chief Minister has now conceded we have, subject to guarantees.
Instead, and after I indicated that we would not support the original Bill, a demonstration was put on outside here which led to a rapidly deteriorating relationship between the Rally and union elements that we never thought would exist. The prime mover in that, of course, was someone who is present in this Assembly now, and it was not the Chief Minister.
Mr Speaker, I trust that in future, when controversial legislation is introduced in this chamber, we will be allowed to have it dealt with in committee and be allowed to have reasoned debate before the issue is taken to the footpath - not that, coming from the footpath, as I do, I would in any way hold back that forum. The fact of the
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