Page 1467 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 6 April 2005

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I have listed today a series of incidents, low level crime and high level crime, dangerous crime based on letters written to me and which I pass on to the minister, based on media reports, based on responses to questions on notice. I am sure I have only merely scratched the surface of those today. Sadly, the government has obfuscated on the true strength of ACT Policing—unsworn police, police on long-term sick leave, the level of experienced policing. Until we have a more honest appraisal of what that true strength is, we are not going to be able to tackle the problems.

Perhaps we even have to look at the agreements that exist between the ACT jurisdiction and policing. We may need to have a look at that to see whether there is a more effective way of organising our policing to protect the community. I call on the government to let us know the true strength of effective policing. Yes, we have 33 new police, but that will not reflect a net effective gain in police strength. There has been a leaching of experience, there are questions about rotations, and I call on the government, in terms of its duty of care to the community and to its police force, to come clean and let us know the true strengths.

Question put:

That Mr Pratt’s motion be agreed to.

Ayes 7

Noes 10

Mrs Burke

Mr Smyth

Mr Berry

Mr Hargreaves

Mrs Dunne

Mr Stefaniak

Mr Corbell

Ms MacDonald

Mr Mulcahy

Dr Foskey

Ms Porter

Mr Pratt

Ms Gallagher

Mr Quinlan

Mr Seselja

Mr Gentleman

Mr Stanhope

Question so resolved in the negative.

Motion negatived.

Office of Fair Trading

MS MacDONALD (Brindabella) (5.34): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Office of Fair Trading continues to enhance its activities to the benefit of the ACT community;

(b) successful prosecutions have been undertaken of traders in the fitness, real estate, motor vehicle and credit provider industries that have acted against the interests of consumers; and

(c) a wide ranging licensing and enforcement regime has maintained a high level of professionalism amongst businesses and has resulted in increased protection to ACT consumers; and

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