Page 1338 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 5 April 2005
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MR HARGREAVES: I will take your advice, Mr Speaker. The fact is these are reports. They are not necessarily incidents. In fact, we would be surprised if there were not considerably more incidents than those that have been reported. Mr Pratt would like everybody in the ACT to have an AFP bodyguard. That would require 337,000 police officers in this town.
Let me outline some of the things that have actually occurred in the last year or so regarding drink spiking. Members would probably recall me mentioning this before. I hope they would. There has been the emergence of a partnership between the police, the operators of licensed premises and the communities themselves.
Mr Pratt: I see. So arrests are out?
MR HARGREAVES: Mr Pratt interjects repeatedly, Mr Speaker. I have only two alternatives. One is to ignore the ramblings of an idiot. The other is to respond. I am trying my desperate best to resist that temptation.
MR SPEAKER: It would be easier if you did not respond to interjections.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR HARGREAVES: I point to the clock, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: It would be much easier if the opposition did not intervene. I so order! No more interjections, please.
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The partnership between the police, the operators of licensed premises and the community has in fact been the prime motivation for these increased reports. People are now considerably more aware that drink spiking is a very dangerous issue indeed. Twenty years ago, drink spiking went on. Mr Pratt no doubt indulged in it himself. I wonder rhetorically—
Mr Smyth: Point of order, Mr Speaker! That is appalling and it should be withdrawn.
MR HARGREAVES: Look at that! That has got to be a record, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves!
MR HARGREAVES: Like hitting a cash register.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, I ask you to direct Mr Hargreaves to withdraw the imputation that Mr Pratt is a drink spiker.
MR SPEAKER: Please withdraw that remark Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: I withdraw that, Mr Speaker. In times past, an increased amount of alcohol in a mixed drink was given to people for nefarious reasons. Let me put this to you. That is drink spiking. It goes on today. It is also true that chemicals are put into
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