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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 13 Hansard (9 December) . . Page.. 4258 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

responsible than either of these two gentlemen over here and would not deny people access to a criminal injuries compensation scheme the way you and they are doing it tonight. It is just appalling.

MR SPEAKER: This morning, I would suggest.

MR HARGREAVES: It is appalling. There are unprovoked attacks on people walking down the road. A character got something like $12,000. He was just walking through Civic and he was set upon. He was minding his own business, and bang.

Mr Humphries: He will have access to the counselling and rehabilitation services under this Act.

MR HARGREAVES: You are saying that a policeman who suffers a soft tissue injury in a demonstration in Parliament House is more deserving than that person. Mr Stanhope used the example of a person who was threatened with a blood-filled syringe. That happened in my electorate, Mr Humphries, and I have to tell you that that person is going to carry that threat for life.

A woman who was merely going about her business in a bank - she was not a bank employee - was held hostage. She had a knife held at her throat and sustained lacerations to her throat. She was eventually let go after the bank had been robbed. You are telling me that that policeman who suffered a soft tissue injury at a Parliament House demonstration is more deserving and should be on the list and she ought not. That is what you are saying. You can shake your head until it falls off, but that is what you are saying, and that is what Mr Rugendyke is saying. He is saying exactly what Mr Stanhope said: There are two classes of citizens here.

Well, I have to tell you that I reject it. There was the lad whose parents were murdered and the daughter whose parents were murdered and her brother maimed. They are going to carry that for a heck of a lot longer than that policeman with the soft tissue injury, I have to tell you. And you, and you, and you, and you, Mr Humphries, will deny them that.

Mr Humphries: Don't shout at me please, Mr Hargreaves.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Let us just settle down a little, please.

MR HARGREAVES: I am sorry, Mr Speaker, but I just cannot stand it. This is really ridiculous.

MR SPEAKER: It certainly is at 2 o'clock in the morning. I would ask you people please to just settle down and debate this properly.

MR HARGREAVES: Mr Speaker, I call upon Mr Rugendyke to withdraw this thing, pretty smartly.

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