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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2207 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

I have maintained all along that it is very hard to see what it is that people do in public places that deserves to have privacy protection. What am I supposed to be doing in a public place that I want to keep private anyway? Can someone answer that question for me? We have not had documented cases in Australia, at least not that I am aware of, of the abuse of these cameras in public places. We have had documented cases, I am aware, of abuse of cameras in private places. I understand that there are cases of people having been filmed in change booths in stores and also doing other things in private premises. That certainly has been the case. But I am not aware of any abuse of cameras in respect of public places - none at all. There is certainly no evidence of that in this report. Where is the abuse we are trying to protect against? Where is the need that we are spending $119,000 to address? I do not know.

I do know, however, that security cameras have produced significant benefits in the detection and prevention of crime. Only a few weeks ago a serious incident in Ipswich in Queensland, in which some Aboriginal people were attacked by security guards, was caught on video camera and the tape is being used to effect the prosecution of those who attacked those Aboriginal people. Benefits flow from these cameras. That cannot be doubted. We have benefits on the one hand, and we have no demonstrated problem on the other hand. No-one has yet produced a single case in the ACT or elsewhere in which cameras in public places have resulted in some misuse. Why are we hesitating to make this decision? This is a very unfortunate decision for the Assembly to be taking, and I ask members to reconsider the foolishness of what they are doing.

Question put:

That the amendment (Mr Moore's) be agreed to.

The Assembly voted -

	AYES, 9		 	NOES, 6

	Mr Berry		Mrs Carnell
	Mr Corbell		Mr Cornwell
	Ms Horodny		Mr Hird
	Mr Moore		Mr Humphries
	Mr Osborne		Mrs Littlewood
	Ms Reilly		Mr Stefaniak
	Ms Tucker
	Mr Whitecross
	Mr Wood

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

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