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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (11 May) . . Page.. 1468 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: "Are there are any police left? Are there any bullets left in their guns?" we are asked by Mr Stanhope. Mr Stanhope, bleating about the resourcing of the AFP-

Mr Stanhope: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. My colleague has just indicated that 6,849 families had their houses invaded and robbed last year. I do not think that that is a laughing matter and I would ask the minister to answer the question seriously.

MR SPEAKER: I think the minister is answering the question. There is no point of order.

MR HUMPHRIES: Thank you for that interlude; it gave me a chance to find what I wanted to find. Mr Speaker, this opposition has had the sheer gall to raise resourcing of the Australian Federal Police in this territory.

Mr Stanhope: A 53 per cent increase in burglaries under Gary Humphries.

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! Settle down!

MR HUMPHRIES: Can I remind members opposite what happened under the ACT Labor government-

Mr Stanhope: A 53 per cent increase in burglaries under this minister in one year.

MR SPEAKER: Be quiet, Mr Stanhope, otherwise I will be forced to warn you first and then name you, and that would be an extremely embarrassing situation for the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr Berry: It happened to me fairly quickly once. You made up your mind and I was gone.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, it happens to you frequently.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, in 1990-91, during the Alliance government, there were 660 police dedicated to policing services in the ACT. In 1991-92 the number dropped to 618 police under the Labor government. In 1992-93 the number dropped to 611 police. In 1993-94 it dropped to 600 police. In 1994-95 it dropped to 552 police, although there was an increase in non-sworn staff numbers, non-uniform police, at the same time.

Mr Berry: How many burglaries?

MR HUMPHRIES: In fact, the rises in crime at that stage were very serious, they were very severe. I will come back to this place if members like-take the question on notice, if you like-and give you some details about the rises in crime at that stage. They were horrendous, Mr Speaker. You go back and have a look at them. There were huge increases every year in a large number of categories of crime under the former government.

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