Page 911 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 30 March 1993
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What I would like to know, Minister, is what you people, the Government, are doing about this? What actions are you proposing to take? Furthermore, and perhaps this is where the Chief Minister's reference to this review comes in, have you made any assessment as to why suburbs such as Lyons, Turner, Monash, O'Connor and Narrabundah were the hardest hit? Is there any reason why they should be apparently selected at random by the criminals for the highest rate of burglary? I would be interested to hear your explanation.
Mr Connolly: They all have high Housing Trust - - -
MR CORNWELL: What was that, Minister?
Mr Connolly: I was just wondering whether you were questioning their high Housing Trust tenancies.
MR CORNWELL: The Minister says that they have high Housing Trust - - -
Mr Wood: No, he did not say that.
Mr Connolly: I am questioning whether that is what you are suggesting.
MR CORNWELL: Well, he raised the question. I simply acknowledge it. I would be most interested, Minister, in the response that you give. No doubt this will come out in the review, or at least I hope it does, because otherwise the Government is hardly addressing this problem in a realistic and responsible manner. This is the whole problem with the Government's response to Mr Humphries's censure motion - that they attempt to obfuscate; they attempt to use their own figures or interpret the figures the way that they would like to, when in fact there is very clear evidence on at least one count, in my opinion, and that is the burglary statements, that misleading information has been provided.
We must, in this Assembly, take such matters very seriously. I am aware, Madam Speaker, that the Government Ministers face great problems. Some face greater problems than others in handling their portfolios. There is a particular difficulty, which I think any fair-minded person would recognise, and that is the number of portfolios that each Minister is obliged to administer. I can understand the difficulties there. The option, of course, is the fifth ministry, but the Chief Minister has not indicated yet whether she is prepared to accept that. We know that there is at least one member of her - - -
Ms Follett: You are applying for a job, are you, Greg?
MR CORNWELL: No. We know at least one member, Chief Minister, of your back bench who is absolutely champing at the bit for that opportunity and - - -
Mr Humphries: Is it Annette, or Ellnor? Who is it?
MR CORNWELL: In fairness, I do not wish to offend the ladies by not mentioning them, Mr Humphries.
I can accept the problems that you face but that does not alter the fact that you have a responsibility to get on top of your portfolios and not come in here making misleading statements, misleading the Assembly on issues of importance to the community. It is our job to make sure that you do not mislead, and Mr Humphries's censure motion is therefore entirely proper. You may wish to
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