Page 5186 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 27 November 1991
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That is, the tactical response group. From what I have heard and from what I have seen, that is an obscenity; that is disgusting. Our police have been incredibly restrained there in the face of excessive intimidation by a large number of this rent-a-crowd, 97 per cent of which comes from interstate.
I think people should take a leaf out of the book of Dr Kinloch and his Quakers, out of the book of the women from the Western Australian Peace Movement and the Christians for Peace who are there protesting peacefully. I heard from the Attorney-General today that there were some Women for Peace who had a dignified march down from the War Memorial. That, indeed, gives the peace movement credibility.
The actions of these ratbags who are there clearly trying to intimidate the police, to intimidate the people going into Aidex, and to intimidate the right of free entry of other ordinary Canberra citizens to have a look at this exhibition, very little of which in fact has anything to do with arms, are absolutely disgusting. I think they should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. I might say this as well, Mr Speaker. I had a look on Tuesday and there are fewer arms on view there than at the Royal Canberra Show. If this Government is going to ban future Aidex exhibitions, it might as well ban the Royal Canberra Show as well.
Aidex
MR COLLAERY (10.49): Speaking of arms and alms - in all its spellings - I received some communications today from the community at Mount Oak that I was long-term solicitor for. They are peaceful people. They may dress in an unorthodox fashion, but they have lived there for many years. They rang me today expressing concerns about the use of dogs at Aidex.
I must confess that I put my point of view over earlier and I will not repeat it; but I stress to Mr Stefaniak that many of the alternative-type people there were peaceful also, as no doubt he recognises. I particularly want to mention that on behalf of my good friends from Mount Oak and other parts that I represented over the years.
I must say that I find myself in agreement with Mr Stefaniak, but not with the same language or the same vehemence. I witnessed totally unacceptable scenes there on the weekend. I saw protesters terrify horses in floats. The horses were in a serious state of agitation and were damaging themselves. Young girls were weeping at the sight of their animals being terrified by these people. It was a really bad situation. Fires were lit in the toilets out there, in the stables, and other damage was caused.
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