Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 2648 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

So if Mr Hargreaves wants to take cheap shots because crimes occur in our city, then I am vulnerable. But we take some comfort in knowing that the next time you people are over here, on this side of the chamber, you will be vulnerable to exactly the same kind of cheap shot.

The question is not what happens to individuals, serious and distressing though that may be. The question is what can we as a community do to reduce the incidence of crime across the board. Crime is a problem for this community-it has been for many years. We are addressing that problem in a way which I think is responsible. We are putting extra resources into policing, we are funding crime prevention initiatives and we are offering support-physical, financial and moral-to the Federal Police, who are at the front line of this problem.

I made the point yesterday that Mr Hargreaves does no service to this community or to the police that are providing security and safety on the streets of this city by making the comments he has made in this place and in the media over the last few months. Attacks on the police, attacks on the efforts made to reduce crime in this community and attacks on-

Mr Hargreaves: I have not attacked the police. You are Gary-ing me again. You are becoming a chronic Gary-er.

MR HUMPHRIES: No, I am not Gary-ing you. I quoted Mr Hargreaves accurately and completely yesterday. Perhaps you did not describe the police as the Keystone Cops. I have Gary-ed you, have I? I must have Gary-ed you by saying that you were describing the police as the Keystone Cops. I am dreadfully sorry if I suggested that. I will have to go back and check my memory by referring to Hansard. Obviously my memory is erroneous.

Mr Smyth: And the bovver boys. Who said "bovver boys"?

MR HUMPHRIES: That is right-and I thought you called the police bovver boys as well. It must be my memory. I am getting a bit old, you understand; my memory is failing a little bit. Mr Speaker, I will have to withdraw those suggestions. Mr Hargreaves has never made any suggestion casting aspersions on the quality of our police in this city, apparently. Apparently that is the case-that he has never made such assertions.

Mr Speaker, I stand by my view that we have the best police force in the country working for us in this city. They are the best bar none. I will support their work. If they make mistakes, I will tell them about it. But while they are doing a good job, as they are at the moment, they have this governments complete support.

Mr Stanhope: Well we need them while terror stalks the city at night. You need a good police force when you have got terror stalking the city at night.

MR SPEAKER: Would you like to make a ministerial statement, Mr Stanhope?

Mr Stanhope: Yes, I look forward to the day.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .