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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (29 June) . . Page.. 2248 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

I heard him say that the increase in crime in 10 categories was of concern considering the size of the ACT. What does the size of the ACT have to do with it? These are not raw figures; these are not just total numbers of crimes. These are crimes per 100,000 head of population. So what has the size got to do with it? Size is immaterial to the question. The rate of crime in the community is the relevant comparison.

There is no reason our rate should be any different necessarily because of our size. In fact, if anything, size is an explanation for why we are experiencing increasing crime rates. In fact, it is a reason that Mr Hargreaves drew attention to on the radio yesterday. He said that crime in New South Wales is being tackled effectively, which is forcing people to come to Canberra to engage in certain crimes, particularly, incidentally, car theft and home burglary.

You would have thought that was a reason, an explanation, as to why we have experienced an increase in those four categories of crime and why we are at the highest end of the league table, if you like, nationally in that respect. It is not, as Mr Hargreaves put it in his very erroneous press release, because the government has been sleeping and not paying attention to these issues, but rather for the very reason that he volunteered in his remarks yesterday-that people are coming to the ACT from interstate, particularly from Sydney, and are targeting the ACT.

We need to harden that target. That is why we have certain measures in this budget including, I might point out, the crime prevention matters which members opposite have had some problem with. You need to spend money in those areas because that is going to provide a real hardening of the target in this town for people like car thieves and burglars. The fact remains, however, that Mr Hargreaves' press release was sheer hysteria, comparing-

Mr Hargreaves: Ha, ha!

MR HUMPHRIES: I will put this to the people in this place to consider: Mr Hargreaves compared Canberra with New York. I am sorry, if that is not scaremongering and if that is not hysteria, what is? Canberra with New York! Please! A study of national capitals released only last year, I think, by the British Home Office found that Canberra was the safest city of all that they surveyed all round the world. Mr Speaker, that is still true. I have no doubt that that is still true.

To compare Canberra with New York is to do a grave disservice to this community and is the sort of thing that no member of this place ought to engage in. The fact is that, of the 15 categories of crime referred to in that ABS report, in only four were we above the national average. In 11 of the 15 categories we were below the national average for the rate of crime. We were the lowest in Australia in a number of categories, including sexual assault. Mr Speaker, in the area of property crime you can see why there has been an increase. It is because of the targeting of the ACT by interstate thieves in particular. I am going to do something about that situation, Mr Speaker.

Mr Stanhope: When?

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