Page 2613 - Week 09 - Thursday, 8 August 1991
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MR STEVENSON: It is like asking whose fault it is that the Rally is not on it.
I will mention the AFP, but there is a brief background that I need to put to make the point correctly; otherwise I will need to get up on my feet at some other time. There was a false report put out that I had not done something in time to get the matter brought on. That is totally false. The matter was simply put in a different sequence. The matter was listed on the paper. I did everything I could to get the matter on. All members were well aware that the matter would be coming on. On top of that, there was a disinformation program suggesting that the evidence I presented on organised crime involvement was not valid. That is totally false, and a reading of the evidence will show that.
I was not able yesterday to speak on the X-rated video debate as fully as I would have wished to; but, under the circumstances, I was allowed the brief time of 15 minutes to make a statement. In that statement I used the following words:
Mr Speaker, there is someone involved in the police force in the ACT who presented to the media information that was absolutely misleading in this matter. I believe that material was presented in an attempt to play down the involvement of organised crime in the X-rated video industry in Canberra.
Mr Speaker, this matter is extremely sensitive. I was not able to name, and I have been asked by a State police force internal investigations branch not to name, that police officer.
Later in the day I made another statement because it was absolutely not my intention to suggest that all members or any number of members of the Australian Federal Police were involved. I specifically indicated that it was one member and I did so because I support the police.
Mr Connolly: Are you still saying that it is a member of the Australian Federal Police?
MR STEVENSON: What I said was that I had no intention whatsoever of suggesting that it was anything to do with the Australian Federal Police, be it one member or any number of members. As I said, the reason is that I support the police. I have been a long-term, long-serving police officer. Where there are things that need to be handled, I will certainly bring them up to support those police, the vast majority of whom, as I have said again and again in this Assembly, do a wonderful job, particularly in the ACT, as I have said again and again.
Later on in the afternoon, to make sure that there was no misunderstanding, I said:
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