Page 4954 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 26 November 1991
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disbanded by the Attorney. The police motorbike squad was to have been cut down to 12. That has been saved as a result of a campaign waged by the association and the police force, with the support of the Opposition. I am pleased to see that some concessions were made there.
I am still highly sceptical about how effective the priority time will turn out to be. We will see. One of the main problems I still have with this budget is the safety of Canberra citizens after hours on weekdays and at all hours on the weekends. Despite the Attorney's protestations about prioritising times to the more dangerous periods, he has admitted at one public meeting at Tuggeranong and on other occasions that, if there is a problem at the Kambah Tavern in Tuggeranong, for example, and a nasty domestic out at Chisholm, a police car might come from Belconnen for that.
Mr Connolly: That happens now.
MR STEFANIAK: I know that it happens now, but what happens if there is a problem at the same time in Weedon Close? What happens if you simply run out of police cars? We do have that problem.
Mr Connolly: What happens now?
MR STEFANIAK: Mr Connolly, I have seen that happen in the past, but at least police cars came. I mentioned in an earlier debate one case where two police officers, a man and a woman, were very seriously injured in a nasty domestic in which three brothers got involved. It was only the timely intervention of a couple of police cars - one 15 minutes after the first call, and one 20 minutes after - that prevented perhaps one or both of those officers being killed. As it was, the police were a little slow. I dread to think what the situation would be now.
One of my fears is that police officers' lives will be put in danger, as it seems they have been at the Aidex exhibition at Natex through some of the feral professional protesters we have there. Another policewoman had her arm broken today. That is another area where this police budget is way out of kilter. What about the contingency problems? At Natex, I understand, there are about 350 police. They will be out there until late this evening, tomorrow and Thursday, ensuring that the rights of people who want to see that exhibition are respected and that those people can get in.
Already seven or eight police have suffered broken bones as a result of "peaceful" demonstrations, and the overtime bill, I am told, is about $150,000 a day. What is the Government going to do about that? I suggest that they have a go at the Commonwealth, because that is basically what that exhibition is about. Some 97 per cent of the
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