Page 4704 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 28 November 1990
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persons were involved. It is easy to get up to those numbers when you consider the numbers of people present sometimes in and about youthful, drinking, disco establishments.
As Attorney, I am not in receipt of any volume of complaints in relation to this matter. As is reported in the 17 October police brief that was made available to the Opposition, there was a dramatic downturn in the number of formal directions being given in the quarter to the end of September this year. That may account for the cooler months when people are not out on footpaths. But certainly the youth community of the town is aware that the police have a move-on power.
As Attorney, I am watching very, very carefully the implementation of that power. I am on the record in this Assembly as saying that I will support its removal if I am provided with clear evidence that is being misused. Mr Speaker, on that latter point, there have been only 13 arrests in this entire period, since the Act was brought in in September last year. Still, we have had up to 100 arrests or charges in relation to public order of the nature of offensive behaviour.
It is my ambition to reduce the arrests further and to ensure that in police colleges and training sessions the police see that the move-on power, such as it exists - it was greatly watered down in its passage through this Assembly - does not relate to industrial disturbances or any such things, and therefore it should not have engaged the ideological objections of the Labor Party.
Mr Wood: What about your first Bill? What about the first Bill that was proposed, for heaven's sake?
MR COLLAERY: Through you, Mr Speaker: Mr Wood, I am not referring to the first Bill because you well know that that was amended. Mr Speaker, the Labor Party has had an ideological mind-set ever since the first Bill was introduced, but it did not get passage in this Assembly in its original form. It does not relate to those situations involving student- and industrial-type demonstrations.
As the facts show, this is a complement to the policing of our liquor-licensed establishments. That is what it has boiled down to. Mr Wood has to admit that it is a complement to it.
Mr Wood: A complement, yes.
MR COLLAERY: And, to a great extent, it is a compliment to the police who have to be credited for a professional approach to this new power.
Mr Speaker, clearly there is a great element of trust imposed on the police in relation to this power; but, as this community and every country town community know,
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