Page 832 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 March 1991
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In our view, this would be a very positive step for this Assembly to take. A unanimous endorsement by this Assembly would give confidence to victims of crime in this Territory, to police and law enforcement authorities and to the community at large. I would commend the declaration to the Assembly, and I look forward to unanimous support.
MR STEFANIAK (11.51): I was heartened to see Mr Connolly put this motion on the notice paper, but I will move the amendment circulated in my name because I think it is important that credit is given where credit is due in relation to this question. I move:
Paragraph (17) after the word "custody", insert "and the Assembly congratulates the Government on its timely and full inquiry into the question of victims' rights announced by the Attorney-General on 13 December 1990 and currently being undertaken by the ACT Community Law Reform Committee".
I am delighted with Mr Connolly's comments and I know that he made them most sincerely. This is an issue that he has been interested in, and I have had many discussions with him on it since he came to this Assembly.
I think his party has, somewhat belatedly, seen the benefit of acting in this area - from a more cynical point of view, and that is a vote point of view - and is trying to catch up on a lot of lost ground, because in the police and justice area the Labor Party in the ACT does not have a particularly good track record. This move, initiated I would think by Mr Connolly, is a very welcome one indeed.
The question of victims' rights has concerned my party, the Liberal Party, for a number of years, and indeed I think the other parties in the Alliance since this Assembly's inception. I can recall having many discussions on this issue with Mr Collaery and some indeed with Mr Duby, even prior to the Alliance Government forming. Indeed, my recollection of those discussions is that they were always supportive, even back in 1989, with regard to the question of victims' rights.
It is pleasing to speak in support of the points raised by Mr Connolly and also my amendment because this Government has initiated moves which I believe will see very effective benefits flow to victims, ensure that their rights are protected and, I hope, see whatever legislation is necessary - and I believe that some will be necessary - introduced into this Assembly and passed this year. If we can in fact get good victims protection legislation into this Assembly prior to our rising and going to the elections in February next year, that is probably one of the greatest things this first Assembly could do.
The ACT Community Law Reform Committee, established by the Attorney-General last year, had the question of victims' rights put to it for study on 13 December 1990. That
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