Page 4222 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2005
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forgets, conveniently, that the number of police is a full-time average operative staffing level taken over 12 months.
Mr Pratt: That is the number you budget to. Is it a meaningless number?
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Pratt!
MR HARGREAVES: He can take a number today and he can take another number in three weeks and they will be different. What we have then is a straw man for him to tear down. I am just not going to play that game.
MR PRATT: I have a supplementary question. Minister, if we had 32 more police, wouldn’t we be able to do all those things you have just outlined that much better? Why have you now contradicted your 2001 position?
MR HARGREAVES: I will answer the second question first. I have not contradicted my statement of before. You guys did a pathetic job when you were in government and the Stanhope government has not done a pathetic job; it has done a great one. The second one is probably the only question that I have heard from Mr Pratt in all the time I have been exposed to his diatribe that has made any sense, that is, if you are doing a really good job now, couldn’t you do a better job with more? The answer—
Mr Pratt: As you say you are.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Pratt, I warn you.
MR HARGREAVES: The answer to Mr Pratt’s question is yes, we are doing fantastic things. The crime rates have dropped. Community confidence is up. Police visibility has increased. Can we do better with more people? Yes, of course we can. Mr Pratt and perhaps the others opposite would actually deny the successes that the police have achieved over the life of the Stanhope government, and I just will not cop that. They have done a fantastic job. Could we provide better educational outcomes with more teachers? Yes. Could we provide better health outcomes with more doctors and nurses? Yes. Could we provide better parliamentary debate with more opposition? No.
ACTION—Aranda route options
MRS DUNNE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Planning. Minister, you will be aware of consultation around the proposed route of the Belconnen busway, which does not have any funding, and the impact that route option 2B will have on Aranda and especially on the residents of Arabana Street. Will you give an undertaking that route option 2B will be ruled out for further consideration because of its impact on the residents of Arabana Street?
MR CORBELL: I anticipate being in a position very shortly to outline the results of the most recent consultation in relation to the route options that have been out for consultation over the past couple of months, including route option 2B. I have received a number of representations directly from residents of Arabana Street, Aranda, in relation to their concerns with that particular route option. I am certainly taking those into close account. Equally, those residents have also taken the opportunity to use the consultation
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