Page 950 - Week 03 - Thursday, 14 March 1991
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MR MOORE (3.37): I really find it difficult to believe what I have been hearing from Mr Stefaniak. I will take up a couple of points he made. The first one refers to the statistics from the United States which Mr Stefaniak presented. Whilst I accept that his statistics may be quite reasonable - and I do not question them - the conclusions that he drew from them defy logic. He drew one possible conclusion from them, but there is a whole series of possible conclusions. So, to argue in that way is totally inappropriate, particularly in light of the fact that the research of the Australian Institute of Criminology has found that once a certain amount of money is spent on a police force - and we do not know at this stage whether it is the case with the ACT police force or not - the injection of further funds has very little impact on the crime rate.
All I am saying is that if we consider those two things together it requires, obviously, a much closer look. What Mr Connolly has suggested is to put in the vital link - and the vital link that he is talking about is an Assembly committee. In fact, when I proposed a motion for an Assembly committee on this matter some time ago, Mr Collaery said that it would be an inappropriate time to have it and that the Government would consider that proposition - he did not say that he would do it - at about this time in this year.
I think what Mr Connolly is doing is saying to the Attorney-General, "Your view of policing and the community group that you have established are good" - it is positive and he is not being critical, and nor am I - "but it is also time to add a vital link in the chain, and that is to allow an Assembly committee to inquire into the financial aspects". Mr Stefaniak, put yourself in our shoes - and you may well find yourself there before too long - in opposition. You will see that one of the roles that you could play in a positive way would be to have a committee to inquire into such things. If you do not have that committee to inquire into such things, the likely result is that the only technique left to members in the Opposition is to make comments in a public way.
Mr Duby: Sit down.
Mr Collaery: Unctuous!
MR SPEAKER: Order! Thank you, Mr Moore. Mr Collaery?
Mr Collaery: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I stand to - - -
MR MOORE: Oh, Mr Speaker - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order!
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