Page 5261 - Week 16 - Thursday, 28 November 1991
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I have never heard of that happening before. I have never heard of 14 police in Canberra in one particular series of demonstrations receiving broken bones. Veteran protesters have indicated just how restrained the police were. Veteran protesters also stated in the Canberra Times that the demonstrators would not last five minutes in Sydney, and that is true enough. I certainly support Assistant Commissioner Dawson, who says that now the police will get tough and, if need be, will use shields and even the police dogs, which are a very effective crowd control tool, Mr Collaery. Incidentally, I understand that the dog to which Mr Collaery referred yesterday was not a police dog; it was a protester's dog which bit a policeman. So, Mr Collaery should get his facts right.
Mr Collaery talks about appeasement, but he is doing the wrong thing by appeasing these very violent protesters. Also, by banning Aidex you are impliedly appeasing would-be aggressors. You are sending the wrong message outside Australia and the wrong message outside Canberra; that is, that we are not interested in defending ourselves, in the Australian Defence Force and in defending our freedom. I think it is terribly important to - - -
Mr Jensen: Relevance, Bill.
MR STEFANIAK: I think that what I am saying is pretty relevant to looking at this matter - isolationism, appeasement and offering support to Canberra. So, whilst I wholeheartedly support Mr Collaery in the foreign affairs part of this particular motion and the specific areas he wants it to cover - that is, the tragic events in Croatia and Timor - I think it is very important to ponder on appeasement and to make sure that this Territory and this country do not lapse into appeasement, because the lessons of history are that it never, ever works.
DR KINLOCH (3.41): First of all, we recognise the problem of time in the Assembly. Alas, we have to say to many of our visitors that we are under very great pressure here. Speaking for the three of us in the Rally - and I thank Mr Jensen for allowing me to take that role at the moment, because I am trying to speak for all three of us - may I say that we are honoured by the presence with us of representatives of the Balkan states, Timor and other countries. We are the ones who are honoured. Many times, may I say to you, our galleries are empty, and I wonder whether we should not be in the business of encouraging many of our communities to come here and see us in action; that is, as we talk about problems of isolationism, and the problem of the Canberra community in relation to that, are we reaching out to the ethnic communities and other communities in our city? So, I want to say how very pleased we are to have our visitors.
I have another quick matter which I especially want to pass on to the Deputy Chief Minister for his party, to Mr Stefaniak for his party, and to all members of the Assembly. Briefly, I hark back to the delightful launch at
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