Page 3410 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 25 November 1992
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AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE - POEM
MR HUMPHRIES (10.53): I move:
That this Assembly:
(1) notes that Dr John Tomlinson of the ACT Council of Social Service is the author of a poem titled 'Too Many Cops' published in the Green Left Weekly No. 62 of 15 July 1992;
(2) notes that this poem contains a number of statements concerning the Australian Federal Police operating in Canberra as well as a reference to the murder of Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester;
(3) notes the following extracts of the poem:
There are too many cops here in Canberra,
coppers who lie and cheat.
But the bourgeoisie of the ACT
wants more of them on the beat.
There are too many cops here in Canberra
coppers who bash and who maim
But the bourgeoisie of the ACT
wants more of them all the same.
They had a Commissioner in Canberra
who shot him we'll never know.
But it's one cop less
and it caused no distress.
They're cutting more staff in health
increasing police budgets by stealth
corruption and fraud is by coppers ignored
and welfare we just can't afford;
(4) condemns allegations contained in the poem as sick, tasteless and highly offensive; and
(5) affirms its confidence in the very high standards set by officers of the Australian Federal Police and its commitment to the protection of all law-abiding residents and visitors to the Territory regardless of age, race, gender or social circumstances.
Madam Speaker, this matter has been on the notice paper for some time. I do not intend to take long, because I think the matter has sifted down into our minds fairly well by now. There are some important points to make about this incident which should not be lost on the Assembly and which I believe we need to make very clearly in case anyone should choose in the future to emulate what Dr Tomlinson has done.
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