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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 2 Hansard (20 May) . . Page.. 397 ..

MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, you have not asked a question yet. If you keep interjecting you might not have the opportunity today.

Mr Hargreaves: At your pleasure, Mr Speaker.

MR HUMPHRIES: I think we can safely assume Mr Hargreaves did imply or say that there was poor administration in the Australian Federal Police. We have had Mr Hargreaves in recent weeks - in fact, in this chamber on the last sitting occasion - claiming that resources available to the Australian Federal Police were at such a low ebb that it forced disastrous decisions like the putting on standby of the rescue squad on a couple of recent public holidays.

The reason for the police having to receive budget supplementation is that during the last financial year they have had to manage a large number of extremely expensive one-off investigations. A recent murder investigation and a major operation in February targeting a motorcycle gang's members allegedly involved in the distribution of drugs and the possession of firearms have created significant budget pressures on the police. The Government took the view that that level of expenditure was absolutely necessary when the only alternative was a significant compromise to public safety. That was what I told the Assembly yesterday, and that is what I repeat and reaffirm to the Assembly today.

Before approving supplementation, I sought detailed information from the Federal Police about what they were doing to take steps to control any non-essential expenditure. Mr Hargreaves seems happy to criticise the hardworking police men and women of this town, who have been going about their job in difficult circumstances and with some distinction, because of extremely expensive investigations. So, rather than asking for a briefing as to what is going on, he just shoots off and says, "Poor administration".

I make a point about the Federal Police, Mr Speaker. Mr Hargreaves may try to claim that when he was referring to poor administration he was really referring to the Government's poor administration, not the Australian Federal Police's. Of all the agencies which service the ACT community and which the ACT community funds, the Australian Federal Police is the one least administered in that sense by - - -

Ms Carnell: Unfortunately.

MR HUMPHRIES: Unfortunately, yes, as the Chief Minister says, it is the least administered by the ACT Government. The Australian Federal Police is a Commonwealth authority which contracts its services to the ACT. We do not have the power to walk in and say, "Change this; do that; make this alteration here". Our powers are much more limited than that.

Mr Hargreaves has shown some vague understanding of that when he has called for renegotiation of the Federal Police contract. We all know that, Mr Hargreaves; we have been working for several years towards changing those arrangements. Do not come in here and tell us what we already know. But to acknowledge, as you have, that we have that limited control over the Australian Federal Police and then to come along and say,

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