Page 255 - Week 01 - Thursday, 18 February 1993
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Madam Speaker, I think that there are some serious issues raised by Mr De Domenico's matter of public importance, but I think that narrowing cuts in ACT finances to ACT policing only is a very narrow view to take of this situation. Before we look solely at cuts in policing, it would be very sensible for us to look at cuts in health, in education, and in things that are, in my opinion, of far greater importance than policing. I do not resile from the fact that policing is important but I suggest that the appropriate approach is the one suggested by Mr Kaine, and that is that all aspects of the budget should be equally open to cutting at budget-cutting time. It has always been my contention that when we look at our future we must also take into account the importance of the education of our children as something separate from that sort of notion. Therefore it is my contention that, whilst we may make cuts across the budget in most areas, we ought not do it in education.
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (4.26): There are one or two things which were raised by Mr Humphries that I would like to address as they were inaccurate. Mr Humphries talked about services that are available in the Australian Federal Police but are not available in places like Wollongong and Newcastle, and I think he mentioned forensic services. The Australian Federal Police contract forensic services for the ACT from places as far away as Victoria, I am informed.
Mr Humphries: That is right; that is the point I am making. But they are here in the ACT, are they not?
Mr Connolly: No, they are not. Weston is not part of the 700. Weston is national.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr Berry has the floor.
MR BERRY: You had better get your facts straight before you come in and talk about these matters. Another thing that we have to address here is how the funding for the ACT has grown. I refer to the Australian Capital Territory 1988-89 budget, when police funding was $34,644,000. It is now $53m. There has been an explosion in police funding and that is the crux of the issue. What we have in front of us is an industrial political issue. There have been attempts by management to cope with an overspend and an industrial reaction to which politicians have attached themselves. That is the reality of it all.
There is no doubt that a policeman's job is a tough one. Police men and women work under some pretty arduous conditions and it is not a job that I would relish. Neither would many members of this Assembly. But they do have to perform in the real world and there are industrial circumstances which their union will deal with from time to time. It is not a union that has distanced itself from being involved in politics in the past, as we would all appreciate - usually on the conservative side of politics, and that is fair enough. What this is all about has to be identified clearly. This is all about management trying to manage an overspend, and an industrial reaction from an industrial organisation, from a union. Having reacted, a line-up of politicians have been attempting to be involved in it.
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