Page 2897 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 15 August 1990
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MR MOORE: That may well be the case, and it may well actually suit me.
Mr Duby: Not as much as it suits us.
MR MOORE: One of the nicest comments I have heard today is Mr Duby's recognition that I am doing my job as part of the Opposition - going up his nose. It will be my intention to continue to do so.
Mr Duby: No, you are just a pain in the neck; that is what I meant. You are not doing your job; you are just a pain in the neck.
MR MOORE: Being a pain in the neck, as Mr Duby describes it, I also accept as a compliment, because that is exactly what I am supposed to be as part of the Opposition.
The reality of the situation is that the Government has had the opportunity to do something different in Australia and worldwide; it has had the opportunity to do something very special in terms of our police force. It could have been worked out with the Federal police force; we did not have to go elsewhere. It could have been worked out, but instead the negotiators blew it and the system we have got is an absolute disaster. This is going to be shown over the next couple of years when it is time to start making cuts to the police force. We will watch the destruction of the police force as we know it because of these lousy arrangements.
MR KAINE (Chief Minister) (3.26): I do not want to say too much. I was interested in Mr Moore's exposition of things like, for example, what the Grants Commission will or will not do. One of these days I am going to have to invite Michael into my office and give him a bit of a rundown on what the Grants Commission does and how it does it. I must say that - - -
Mr Moore: That is all right; I will show you what it does and does not do.
MR KAINE: Mr Moore often comes to the Assembly with very reasoned and logical debates, but I think on this one he is a bit out of his depth. There are just two things that I wish to comment on. The first is his proposition that somehow or other we should enter into a contract with the Commonwealth for the provision of police services. That abrogates a Commonwealth Act because there is no question but that the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 states quite specifically at section 8 that the Australian Federal Police will provide police functions for the Australian Capital Territory. It is not within our power to go outside that Act. At some time in the future, with the good offices of Mr Moore, the Government may well seek to go to the Commonwealth and say that it would like that Act changed so that it can provide the police services in some other way but, for the time being, the Act is quite
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