Page 4778 - Week 16 - Monday, 25 November 1991
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The committee accepts that there are some problems, but not at the interchange. While I acknowledged, in response to Mrs Nolan's interjection, that the snakepit is an area where unpleasant things are often found in the early morning, I am not aware of complaints of ordinary citizens going about their business being harassed there now any more than at the time of that committee report. Certainly, in the early hours of the morning it would appear to be a place where under-age drinkers congregate. It is so isolated that it is difficult for police to do anything about that. You can keep a pretty good lookout, and by the time an officer comes around one corner anybody who is sitting there drinking would have well and truly scarpered.
Changing the criminal law is not going to help there. Indeed, needles have from time to time been a problem; but, although the use of heroin is a major criminal offence carrying substantial penalties, it still happens because of the bad urban design of the interchange. If the snakepit at Woden is seen as the problem, this law is not the appropriate response. That is not simply the Labor Party's view; that is the view of the bipartisan committee.
Mr Duby: When are you going to fix it?
MR CONNOLLY: Funds are at something of a premium. The problem remained unfixed and unattended during Mr Duby's period of administration, and I have been here somewhat less than that time.
Mr Duby: This will fix it.
MR CONNOLLY: It will not fix it because, as I have indicated, to the extent that there is a problem with needles, that is already a substantial offence and yet it is clearly not fixed. This bipartisan committee, looking at this issue without the heat of an election about to occur, without any eye to making political points, without attempting a political stunt, took the unanimous view that such legislation was unnecessary.
The Labor Government endorses the finding of this committee, and I will be interested today to see whether members of this committee, who took part in an extensive inquiry into this subject and concluded that the amendments proposed by Mr Stefaniak were unnecessary, change their minds and on what basis they change their minds, other than playing politics because we are getting close to an election. The Government will not be supporting this proposed law.
DR KINLOCH (11.35): I have no wish whatever to play politics with this Bill. I recall the long and useful inquiries of the committee to which Mr Connolly referred. I especially recall that we were very concerned indeed about all manner of problems relating to liquor. Indeed, Mr Stevenson and I put in a report which worried a great
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