Page 3452 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 25 November 1992
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In this debate, Madam Speaker, there is probably a lot more common ground between the Government and the Opposition than there are points of divergence. I noted in particular Mr Kaine's acknowledgment of the need for budget restraint, which he has made publicly before. It is a very honest statement that he has made publicly both in government and in opposition. Even though it is easy for an opposition to make a cheap political point, Mr Kaine has consistently said that the ACT region of the AFP has to look at budget constraints and that we have to achieve savings in the police budget, as we do across the rest of the ACT administration.
I thank Mr Kaine for his comments. It would be very easy for an opposition leader to make all sorts of promises. For example, whenever there is a report of violence, he could say, "If I were Chief Minister I would recruit another 50 or 60 police". I think it should be said that opposition leaders of all political persuasions in Australia, both Labor and Liberal, have had a tendency, when crime has been an issue, to make all sorts of promises about boosting police numbers and police budgets.
The Opposition here has taken a constructive approach. Mr Kaine said words to the effect that the Government has to take some initiatives; that we cannot just rely on national initiatives but have to seize the issue ourselves. I agree with that. Earlier this week I announced that the Government is coordinating a meeting which I hope will be held on Friday but which may - on my latest advice from the police, who are coordinating this - be held on Monday. I will get together with the relevant players in Civic and look at strategies for reducing violence in Civic.
The town centre is the area where our young people like to congregate on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in particular. There is nothing wrong with that. It is an area where our young people like to come, have a few drinks, socialise and have a good time. There is nothing wrong with that. The overwhelming majority of the young people who are in Civic late at night - and it is a very different place after midnight from the Civic that we are familiar with - are law abiding and enjoy themselves. But there have been problems.
I have just received some information from police as to the number of assaults that occurred in Civic in the 1991-92 financial year, and I have a note to write to Mr Humphries to tell him this. In the 1991-92 financial year we had 172 assaults in Civic and 20 assaults in Braddon. In the four months to date we have had 19 offences of assault in Braddon, which is a worry. That means that in the first four months we have had almost the same number as we had in the last full year in Braddon. In the same period there have been 62 assaults in Civic. So, Civic is on a par with last year. That third of the year is just on track with the full year last year, but it would seem that there is more activity occurring in Braddon.
They are matters of concern. The beat squad based in the kiosk in Civic tend to spend a lot less time in the kiosk now and a lot more time on foot patrol. Their beat is not just the sidewalks and footpaths. The beat patrol officers tend to wander about and go through the licensed venues, through the discos and often into the back alleys. Those back alleys in Civic are a matter of concern. One of the things that I want to discuss with the Australian Hotels Association, representing the licensed premises, and the traders is the possibility of some coordinated action to make the alleys a little bit better lit.
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