Page 2933 - Week 09 - Thursday, 18 August 2005
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On the day, more than two million daffodils and a wide range of associated merchandising material will be available for sale, including Douglas the Daffodil Bear, to raise funds for cancer research and support services. I encourage members of the Canberra community to dig deep and to support this outstanding cause. More than 10,000 volunteers will staff over 1,200 sites around Australia. In Canberra these sites will include major shopping centres and bus interchanges. We will not have to look far to find a friendly volunteer happy to accept our donations.
As usual, events such as this would not be possible if it were not for the significant contribution made by volunteers. I wish to place on record my appreciation of the work of ACT Cancer Council volunteers, many of whom work not only on Daffodil Day but also throughout the year in many capacities supporting those who have lived with cancer. In addition, I acknowledge the ACT Cancer Council for its best practice management of the many volunteers who work for it. At the beginning of the twentieth century those diagnosed with cancer faced almost certain death. However now, thanks to continued improvement in research and patient care, more than half those patients will be successfully treated.
Daffodil Day is a celebration of that progress. Whilst advancements in cancer treatment have been significant, almost one in three people still suffer from this disease. The money raised during Daffodil Day will help to find the causes of cancer. It will also help those touched by cancer through the continued provision of support services to sufferers and their carers. I urge all members to join me tomorrow, to purchase their fresh daffodils as well as their Douglas the Daffodil Bear, to help make this the most successful Daffodil Day ever.
Surveillance cameras
Afghan embassy
MR PRATT (Brindabella) (5.06): I wish to highlight concerns relating to the response by the Chief Minister today in question time to my question about his attitude towards closed-circuit television cameras and his apparent backflip on increasing their number and using them to increase security in light of the risk of any future terrorist threat. It appears that the Chief Minister, in his answer today, misled the public and me in relation to his views about this issue. I call on the Chief Minister to correct the record now.
Today in question time the Chief Minister denied that he had criticised the installation of additional CCTV cameras as a “knee-jerk and populist response”. His knee-jerk and populist response comments were in relation to discussions about a national identity card. That is not the case. Comments that the Chief Minister made only weeks ago clearly reveal that he was in opposition to CCTV cameras, not just in opposition to national identification cards.
Let me explain. The Chief Minister’s position was clearly reported in an article in the Canberra Times dated 25 July entitled “PM tips more spy cameras—Touch of hysteria in reaction: Stanhope.” The article reads:
ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said he would be reluctant to install surveillance cameras throughout Canberra’s public spaces.
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