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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (11 May) . . Page.. 1469 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

The reason is disclosed by what you were doing to the Australian Federal Police at the time. Look at total expenditure on the police force at that stage. In 1990-91, it was $54.6 million. In 1991-92 it dropped to $53.6 million. In 1992-93 it dropped to $51.5 million. There was an increase in 1993-94, but in 1994-95 it went back again to the lowest level of $51.383 million-huge cuts in police numbers and huge cuts in police allocation, police resourcing, in the ACT. If the people opposite have the gall to come in here and tell us how much they care about police resourcing-

Opposition members interjecting-

MR SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear the minister. I will have to ask him to repeat it all.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I really think it is unfair to be asked to speak over that all the time.

MR SPEAKER: Indeed. As I said, I may have to ask you to repeat it all.

MR HUMPHRIES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The fact is that the people opposite ran the AFP into the ground-

Opposition members interjecting-

MR SPEAKER: Order! Somebody will be warned very shortly.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, the people-

Mr Corbell: How many hours is the Gungahlin police station open?

MR SPEAKER: Mr Corbell, I warn you.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, the AFP were run into the ground by those opposite. They were absolutely run into the ground during the period of their government.

Mr Wood: So all these burglaries are fine, are they?

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, I warn you.

Mr Berry: I did not say a word. You want to watch whom you are naming.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Wood, then, I warn you.

Mr Berry: I know that I am in your sights, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: You weren't on that occasion, Mr Berry.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, it really is incredibly rich to have those opposite who ran the Federal Police into the ground when they were in government telling us here about how we have not resourced the AFP enough. Let me say one more thing about that: there is to be a budget brought down in 10 days, Mr Speaker, and members might just like to see what is said in that budget about that very issue.

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