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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 2531 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: That is what I said-those crimes are falling. Yet those people opposite, who in their time in office cut police resources and cut police numbers, have the audacity to tell us that they are concerned about crime. I know you have done opinion polling, and it has come to you as an almighty shock. "Good heavens, people are concerned about crime and about safety issues in the community. Gee, we have got this slight embarrassment that we voted against the government's budget that included $10 million more for policing in the territory and we voted against tougher sentencing legislation in the Assembly a couple of years ago-

Mr Stanhope: We would have given $20 million-that is the difference. Why do you think we voted against it?

MR HUMPHRIES: Just a couple of years ago you voted against tougher sentencing legislation. Do you remember that, Mr Stanhope?

Mr Stanhope: Quite rightly so. Scandalous legislation.

MR HUMPHRIES: They were concerned about those things enough to block those provisions when they came forward, but now they are concerned about crime. Well, Mr Speaker, I do not think I believe that. I think that the concern of the opposition is poll generated, and nothing more. They are divided and confused about these issues. They are split over the impact of personal crime in the community, with one member of the ALP beating up crime figures in the local media and the other urging calm.

I think we should take the facts as they are. Commander McDevitt from the Australian Federal Police has indicated very accurately in the last few days what exactly is happening with crime in categories like motor vehicle theft and home burglary. The fact is there have been significant reductions in both those areas of crime. The average number of stolen motor vehicles has fallen from 79 a week in April to 41 now-almost a halving of motor vehicle theft. Burglary rates have fallen from 184 a week to 121, and I believe there is evidence that those rates could fall further still.

We have demonstrated a capacity to attack those issues without, at the same time, attacking the Federal Police, which is more than I can say for the opposition.

Mr Stanhope: What garbage.

MR HUMPHRIES: Attacking the Federal Police.

Mr Stanhope: Do you want the burglar thing? You are in charge.

MR HUMPHRIES: Do you want me to quote you? Mr Stanhope questions whether he has attacked the Federal Police.

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! I do not want interjections. We are in question time.

MR HUMPHRIES: Let me tell you what he told Mr Gilbert's program on 2CC recently, in response to a discussion about the Al-Ghamdi murder investigation:

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