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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 8 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2293 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

It occurred to me today, when I was listening to the prattling on of the people across the chamber, that perhaps the Liberal Party policy unit was born out of the army school of artillery, because they are so full of gunnas.

Mr Pratt: Very droll.

MR HARGREAVES: Very droll. I am glad to see that Mr Pratt at least has a sense of humour, if not much else.

Mr Pratt ought to do some research when he talks about policing. He ought to do a little more adding-up. Perhaps his calculator is broken, or perhaps he is using one of those Irish ones, with a piece of paper with holes cut in it, and he can only count up to five police officers, without taking his shoes off.

The truth is that 22 new members started with the ACT Police as constables on Monday, 29 April this year. In fact, I am reliably told that another 38 recruits were only recently deployed in the ACT. I am also told that, of those police officers-that is 60-only about three or four are employed in DNA work.

Incidentally, Mr Speaker, it was those members opposite who introduced the DNA legislation when they were gunna do something about it-they were gunna put on police officers to do it. Guess what? They never got around to it! It was the usual story-they never got around to it. In fact, it was this mob opposite that so seriously ran down the police numbers that this Labor government has had to do something about them. Indeed, there will be another 100 recruits specifically deployed in the ACT by December of this year. Mr Speaker, these guys have reality staring them in the face, but they just cannot see it.

Mr Smyth: Where is the net gain?

MR HARGREAVES: Major Pratt over here talks about the net gain-straight out of the school of artillery! What happened? The net gain? It started on such a low base because you guys ran the whole lot down. I spent three and a half years on your benches arguing the toss with you. You were gunna get around to it eventually, but you never did. Labor has had to do it for you.

Mr Smyth bagged out the schools $27 million. When are you going to work out, Mr Smyth, that you might have done okay in the base, but your mob lost? The big election issue was the schools $27 million-and you guys got caned! You got caned like primary school kids. The people of the ACT want the $27 million inside the school gates, not on the buses. However, Labor is still giving you the buses. You guys opposite ought to get used to it. You are gunna be in the wilderness for some time to come!

Mr Speaker, he talks about the affordable housing taskforce, and he bellyaches about the conveyancing costs. Maybe he is doing his usual little stunt by sticking up for that battling little struggler who wants to buy his 12 investment houses.

I have no problem at all not defending someone who has 12 investment houses. If you want to look at the figures and quote them selectively, just have a look at the big end. These guys over here are defending the poor, poor people who have to buy a house that

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