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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (8 August) . . Page.. 2610 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

heard this absolute nonsense from the Chief Minister about how the numbers have been going up and up, and how the resources have been going up and up. When you look at some of the other findings in the Productivity Commission's report you find that we have the lowest number of police per head of population in Australia. Police in the ACT have a staff ratio of 230 per 100,000 in the ACT. It ranges up to 557 in the Northern Territory. They are the findings of the Productivity Commission.

There is a whole range of other data in the Productivity Commission report that people who are genuinely interested in the facts in relation to this issue should go to. We find, for instance, a table headed "Victims of assault: outcomes of investigations, 30-day status, 1 January to 31 December 1999". It shows the investigations finalised as a proportion of total investigations. In the ACT it was 42 per cent. Let me just run across the range: 42 per cent finalised in the ACT, 63 per cent in New South Wales, 47 per cent in Victoria, 54 per cent in Queensland, 55 per cent in Western Australia, 60 per cent in South Australia, and 46 per cent in Tasmania. In 1999 the ACT had the lowest number of finalisations.

I do not know whether I should keep going through them. Yes, here is another one, outcomes of investigations into property crimes for the year 1999. Eight per cent of investigations nationally into reported unlawful entry were finalised within 30 days. The lowest rate of finalisation in the nation was in the ACT.

This government turned Canberra into the burglary and car theft capital of Australia. There has been a very good recent reduction in burglary and car theft numbers, and this has been parroted and heralded. The result of Operation Anchorage-an excellent result for the community-is that now, instead of one in every 10 houses being burgled in the ACT every year, one in 12 is burgled. If you live in a street with 50 other houses in it, last year one in every five of your neighbours was burgled. This year it is only one in six. Of course, that is a tremendous advance, but let's put this in some perspective.

This government, through its neglect of these areas, turned Canberra into the burglary and car theft capital of Australia. The Labor Party does take this issue very seriously and we will respond to it. The people of the ACT are sick and tired of the neglect and mismanagement. Just think about some of the money involved. Just think about the mismanagement of the fiasco that is Bruce Stadium. Let's think about-

Mr Smyth: The record is back on.

MR STANHOPE: That is right, and you will hear it again and again. Just think a little bit about the hospital implosion. These were major disasters of this government supported fully by Michael Moore. Do you know that Michael Moore is going to leave this place in a couple of months time and not once in the last 31/2 years has he questioned this government's performance in relation to the hospital implosion, or Hall/Kinlyside, or Bruce Stadium? It's interesting, isn't it. It is the Independents, the arbiters, those from the crossbench, who are supposed that keep governments honest, and he has supported absolutely every mistake that the government made in relation to Bruce Stadium.

Mr Moore: You have to look at the alternative. You should have looked at the alternative.

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