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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 06 Hansard (Tuesday, 22 June 2004) . . Page.. 2301 ..

MR SPEAKER: As you know, Mr Smyth, it is up to ministers how they respond to questions in this place, provided that they conform with the standing orders—

Mrs Burke: They just sit on their hands like they do with everything else.

MR SPEAKER: Order, members! I am trying to deal with this matter. It is up to the minister, as I said earlier, to respond to the question how he wishes and it is up to the Assembly to receive it in whatever mood strikes the Assembly.

Mr Smyth: Thank you for that guidance, Mr Speaker. Can you tell us which part of 118, which is the standing order that relates to the answering of questions, it conforms to? Was it 118 (a) or 118 (b)?

MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, is that your question for today?

Mr Smyth: I have already had a question but I am happy to have a second question, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Well, you don’t get one.

Mr Smyth: On the point of order, Mr Speaker—

MR SPEAKER: You don’t get one. You don’t get a question then.

Mr Smyth: Is 118 (a) used to answer his question—

MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, you don’t get a question of me. If you want to raise a point of order, you just get up and raise one and I will rule on it.

Mr Smyth: Mr Speaker, this is a continuation of the point of order that the minister has not answered the first part of the supplementary. I am simply asking whether it is under 118 (a) or 118 (b).

Mr Hargreaves: You have ruled on it.

MR SPEAKER: I can manage this. You have no point of order. Resume your seat.

Policing—Manuka

MR STEFANIAK: My question is to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Minister, I understand that there used to be a regular police patrol of nightspots in the Manuka and Kingston areas on Friday and Saturday nights, keeping a close eye on pubs and nightclubs in the area in case of trouble. I understand that this patrol no longer occurs, because of a shortage of sworn police officers.

In the early morning of Saturday 12 June, a man died after an altercation in licensed premises in Kingston. Because police no longer patrol the area, it took a long time for them to arrive after being called by the licensee. Minister, why have you stopped the regular patrol of Manuka and Kingston on Friday and Saturday nights, given that it was a

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