Page 320 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 1 March 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
That is not the end of my concern, I regret to say. That concern about the operation and the future of the clubs was greatly heightened by my coming across a document today which foreshadows changes to the Federal Police budget in the 1994-95 financial year. I shall refer to that document, which I will table in a moment. The document is headed "AFP/AFPA Budget Working Party 1994-95 Budget" and it states:
MISSION: To identify areas for savings in the light of possible budgetary cutbacks in the 1994/95 by the ACT Government.
SCENARIO: 1. Budget increase.
2. Budget same as 93/94.
3. Budget reduction.
Not surprisingly, the next line reads:
MOST LIKELY: Scenario 3 i.e. reduction.
The document indicates that a 2 per cent budget reduction would be the equivalent of a $860,000 cut from the police budget. It then goes through a number of possible areas in which savings could be effected, and things such as court escorts, restructuring and police attendance at court are mentioned. Of concern to me are two areas particularly, one headed "Youth Clubs" and the other headed "Police in Schools". The section on youth clubs reads in part:
At the 1993 Working Party consideration and discussion took place as to whether a recommendation should be made to withdraw all police from that function -
that is, police and citizens youth clubs. The document continues:
It is the view of this Working Party that due to the ongoing financial problems, the time has come to make hard decisions. It is the view of this Working Party that the seven positions within the Police and Citizens Youth Clubs be made redundant.
I will repeat that:
It is the view of this Working Party that the seven positions within the Police and Citizens Youth Clubs be made redundant.
Again I quote:
This area is clearly an administrative area and the reduction of seven ASL would have no direct impact on the provision of core functions in an operational sense. We strongly recommend that the function be withdrawn and redundancies offered.
It does not end there. Under the heading "Police in Schools", it reads:
Item 13, police in schools, was also discussed. The decision in 1993 was that those positions and the functions being performed should be reviewed. It is understood that a review was conducted by the OIC, Community Policing and Services Branch.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .