Page 2753 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 August 1991
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that, although that occurred almost two years ago, there has been no formal response to the complaint that was raised through those formal statutory investigatory procedures. So, to say that if these powers are abused the citizen can make complaints through the appropriate channels is hardly consistent with a young Canberra citizen who was charged, vehemently protested his innocence, had the charges withdrawn and, indeed, costs awarded against the prosecuting authorities because those charges were withdrawn, pursuing a complaint that he was lawfully conducting himself and perfectly within his rights and that he felt that the police action was wrong, and almost two years later still not having a formal response from the investigating authorities.
That is a bad climate if you are in favour of a society in which crime is being reduced and in which the police are seen as part of the community. Community policing, as I have said before, is a goal to which we all subscribe. We all understand that a safer community is a community in which the police and the citizens cooperate together in strategies to reduce crime. It is counterproductive to introduce broad-sweeping, arbitrary powers that are seen in this way by a significant group in society, and a group that is at risk of criminal activity. All studies of criminal behaviour show that it is young persons who are more likely to come to the notice of the police and more likely to engage in low level criminal activities.
It is hardly productive, in trying to reduce young people's involvement in crime, to have these arbitrary powers, to have a young person conducting himself in an ordinary fashion of an evening in Canberra, perhaps not dressed as we are here today, perhaps with longer hair, perhaps with a skateboard, perhaps wearing a black T-shirt, a Metallica T-shirt even - I do not think he was at the time - but that type of dress that young persons adopt, charged with an offence and told to move on, when he feels that he did not have to. I can understand why a person who is lawfully conducting himself, not interfering with anybody else, on being told to move on may stand on his Irish, so to speak, and say, "No, I have not done anything wrong. I am not breaching the peace. You tell me what I am doing wrong. I am just having a drink, having a chat with my mates".
That has occurred, too. He has been charged, the charge has been withdrawn, and yet two years down the track a complaint about that has had no formal response. That is creating a climate amongst Canberra's young people of distrust of the police and that is something that I, as Attorney, want to work very strongly against. I am sure that we all in this place would favour - - -
Mr Stefaniak: Why do most of us support this power, Terry? People are victims, too.
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