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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 12 Hansard (20 November) . . Page.. 4425 ..

MS MacDONALD: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I thank the minister for that information. Can he inform the Assembly further as to what led up to the decision?

Mrs Dunne: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This goes straight to the viability. Mr Wood has already touched on the viability of the issue, and this is what the question was about.

MR SPEAKER: I have already ruled on that question, Mrs Dunne.

MR WOOD: Let me also mention the outrageous comments from over the road there. Mr Pratt in a media release said, "This is a major cut to policing in the ACT."Two horses are on agistment and it is a major cut to policing?

Mrs Burke: Of course it is.

MR WOOD: Well, I had better give you a few lessons about ACT policing. It is a change-it is a minor change and one that some do not like-but to call it a major cut! Mr Humphries himself made the comment, "Mounted police are popular with the public"but he did not take any polling on that. It may be that they are popular; it may be. But it is my job to see that they are effective; that is my job. Mere popularity is insufficient.

Another member over there said, "Look, the people at Hall like these horses. Can you keep them?"That was the only argument I got: the Hall people like these horses. I have not had any arguments here about how they should be kept or why they should be kept. The opposition are simply beyond the point of reason on this issue. I will stand up here and assert that I am responsible. I want to see that, as they are, all the resources of the ACT policing are effectively deployed. Quite simply, I confirmed the decision that, if horses are on agistment there and they have been for a year, there are better things we can do with police resources than that. I am sorry that we get the very inane comments from at least three members of the Liberal Party in the ACT.

Mr Stanhope: Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the notice paper.

Legal Affairs-Standing Committee

Report No 7-government responses

MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Environment and Minister for Community Affairs) (3.36): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I present the following paper:

Legal Affairs-Standing Committee-Report No 7-Changing the term of Assembly Members from three years to four years-Government response.

I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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