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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3342 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

I concede that the Australian Hotels Association and others believe that a compromise of 5.00 am is a useful compromise because it will get people off their backs. It will stop this constant pushing and bidding for this kind of outcome. The reality is that there is simply not the evidence there to show that this is going to make a major contribution. It just looks good. It is a purely political move, and I think it is very disappointing. One of the things that have happened in the politics of this Territory is that until now we have been able to avoid the sort of bidding war that we have seen going on in New South Wales about who can be toughest on crime. Mind you, I often think that, if you tried it, it would not work here. It would work with some people, perhaps; but I think most people would see through it in a fairly clear way.

Debate interrupted.

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: It being 5.00 pm, I propose the question:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Mr Humphries: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.

Question resolved in the negative.

Debate resumed.

MR MOORE: I am sure Mr Berry would be delighted to go home - many of us would - but there is some business to get through and I think we need to work on it and get through it.

It seems to me, Madam Deputy Speaker, that a really good process would have been, once you have committed yourself to conducting a trial, to show good faith and deliver the policy. As far as that goes, I am supporting the stance taken by Mr Wood in opposing this legislation in principle; but I will also oppose it throughout the process. I must concede, in saying that, that I understand that a compromise has been made in the community; but it is a compromise that has been pushed from people who feel that they are in a very poor negotiating position, through a combination of the way the issue has been run in the media and the fact that some members of this Assembly want to be seen to be tough on crime. The appropriate approach, the one Mr Humphries has normally taken, and the one we have seen taken by Labor when they were in government, is to be tough on the causes of crime. This Assembly generally has worked on that, and that is really what we should be doing.

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