Page 2934 - Week 09 - Thursday, 18 August 2005
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He attacked the Prime Minister for what he described as a knee-jerk and populist response to the recent London terrorist attacks.
“There has been almost a touch of hysteria in his suggestions, first that we need an ID card for the whole nation and second that we now need surveillance cameras everywhere”, Mr Stanhope said.
He was not convinced either measure would help protect Australia.
“Surveillance cameras, as seen in London, help after the terrorists have struck but the surveillance cameras in London did not stop the bombings”, he said.
Mr Stanhope said he would prefer to spend money on more police officers than install security cameras around the city.
I reiterate that the Chief Minister clearly misled the public and me. He should correct the record now and explain to the house why he has done a backflip in relation to this issue. While police and emergency agencies have developed a number of important counter-terrorist and terrorist emergency response measures—I will not go into the detail of them—Mr Stanhope has been ambivalent about ensuring that other measures are developed. If he thinks our view in relation to this issue is dumb, all I can say is that his view about security and community safety is dumber.
Will he have the bottle to correct the record and explain his backflip? Will he state now when he will brief the community on the general nature of evacuation plans and related contingencies? Members should not hold their breath as he does not have a clue about or an interest in this raft of issues.
To refer to another issue, today the Afghan embassy was opened. Ambassador Saikal, who has been in Australia for 15 years, had to fight tenaciously to raise money in the Australian-Afghan community. He obtained the necessary funding and has built a very effective embassy.
Participants in the embassy opening today included Afghan foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. Mr Abdullah Abdullah is the famous face of Afghan liberation. He was the public face who explained the uprising in the north of Afghanistan—a famous man who then became the country’s first foreign minister after the destruction of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Today members of the local Canberra Afghan community, in particular children, were beautifully dressed and participated in dances as they raised for the first time the Afghan flag on the premises of the new embassy. It was quite an occasion and one that I believe the entire Canberran community would support.
Standing orders
Youth detention centre—location
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (5.11): Before I give an adjournment speech, Mr Speaker, I want to refer to something relating to the standing orders. It has been brought to my attention that standing order 156 stipulates:
A Member who is a party to, or has a direct or indirect interest in, a contract made by or on behalf of the Territory or a Territory authority shall not take part in
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