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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2619 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, obviously we do have an idea, otherwise we would not know that we have not been receiving the number of police that we have contracted for. Obviously that is the case, otherwise I would not have been in the position yesterday of saying to the Assembly that the number of police we have contracted for have not been delivered. It is a rather silly question. As for mechanisms within the contract, the contract is a contract. It says that we will be provided with a certain number of police. That is all, essentially, that the contract refers to in that regard. However - - -

Mr Wood: Is that a weak contract that you have?

MR HUMPHRIES: Your Government administered the contract for four years and, obviously, it was satisfactory as far as you were concerned.

Mr Wood: Is that the same contract? Have you renewed it?

MR HUMPHRIES: I think you might even have renewed it in that time. Obviously, it was satisfactory as far as you were concerned. I am meeting with the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police this afternoon and I will be raising these issues further with him.

MR WOOD: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Minister, to clear up the confusion that has arisen from your answers to questions in relation to police numbers in Canberra, will you come back tomorrow, so you have time to do this - - -

Mr Humphries: If you like.

MR WOOD: Next Tuesday that is, the next sitting day.

Mrs Carnell: We are happy to come back tomorrow if you want to.

MR WOOD: Next sitting day. Will you come back and tell the Assembly how many police are rostered for operational duties out in patrol cars or on foot on the streets around Canberra at this moment, at this time of day? Would you tell us that next Tuesday? Would you do that research?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, if the information is available, yes, I will. But, with great respect to Mr Wood, telling him how many people are rostered at that particular moment is not the same question that he was asking before about the number of police the ACT is contracted for. Obviously, only a small proportion of those who are on the ACT's payroll will actually be out in squad cars or on duty at that particular time - maybe only a third or a quarter of the total number. I can probably get the information about those rosters, but it is a separate issue from the one he has already raised.

Mr Wood: How many are on the streets now? That is what I want to know.

MR HUMPHRIES: I can tell you that if you want.

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