Page 1546 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 2 May 1990
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law reform than that which has resulted in the king hit that has been received by the consultative process which has been proposed. What Mr Moore has overlooked is that what has been knocked out is consultative processes. It will now go to a law reform process, probably well within the profession. That has been the outcome and is clearly an aspect that only we reformist-minded people in the profession could understand.
Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, the debate on the police issue has been brought on, like this one, somewhat prematurely. I moved within an hour or two of Mr Connolly's admission here to ask him whether he would like a briefing from me. I did that. This debate has brought forward, hopefully not in an adversarial context, the full and appropriate briefings that Attorneys and their opposite numbers in the other house manage, and they manage often not to bring the judiciary into the chamber. Nevertheless, the debate is on, and it is a matter of public importance, although I believe some of the debate is premature.
I undertook to brief the house on the position with the police negotiations. You will appreciate that the onset of the Federal election caused some delay in the resolution of some issues. I am very pleased to give this picture of the situation regarding the police structure for the ACT.
Firstly, this is a unique negotiation; it has not taken place in Australia before, to my knowledge. It is a situation of great magnitude. We are hoping to negotiate to create a first-class police force for the people, and we also have to have regard to the residual Federal interests in a national capital. There is a very complex series of dynamics there - for example, the industrial relations side of matters. Do we have a unified police force? Do we employ civilians under the Public Service Act, together with people under the Australian Federal Police Act, or do we amalgamate the lot and have them all under one lead? Do they have fixed-term appointments?
I have had discussions with the Australian Federal Police Association on issues. There is the funding issue. A ballpark figure of $42m has been given to us as the cost of policing. No responsible Treasurer would simply accept a suggestion that the Commonwealth will give us a bill of that nature every year, and we have needed to conduct careful negotiations at officer level. Those negotiations have recommenced following the Federal election period, and I am advised that the working party has put together all but the final financial arrangements which will go shortly to a steering committee. That steering committee is to meet the week after next, and it is expected that at that penultimate meeting it will prepare and finalise a report which will be given to me and Senator Tate. The target date, I can inform the house, is still 1 July for the takeover of the police function. There may be some slippage. Any slippage would be in the interests of the ACT, not against them.
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