Page 477 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 8 March 2006

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Mr Corbell: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Again, Mr Speaker, the simple fact that this motion is about requiring Mr Pratt, Mr Stefaniak and Mrs Burke to table information about incidents involving the police does not allow Mr Stefaniak to open up the whole debate about every possible law and order issue he feels aggrieved about. You have quite rightly ruled that some level of defence to the assertions made by the Chief Minister is appropriate, but Mr Stefaniak is bringing in an extraneous matter which has absolutely nothing to do with the motion. He is paying lip-service to the motion. He needs to address the substance of it.

MR SPEAKER: What is more, he is reflecting on a previous vote of the Assembly. He will discontinue that immediately.

MR STEFANIAK: Certainly.

MR SPEAKER: You will come to the subject matter of the question before the house, which is the amendment.

MR STEFANIAK: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Might I remind the government that much of this debate is around resourcing and that we say an extra 100 police are needed. I note that that was an election promise in 2001. I will close on this point. Mr Quinlan made a valiant effort to show that the government was reasonably resourcing the police. That is not what we hear from constituents or from the police. I would urge you to go and talk to the police and see what their resourcing needs are.

One of the most fundamental duties any government can have is the security of its citizens. That means an adequate police force which has adequate powers to do its job properly on behalf of the community. Go and talk to them, see what they need and see what other powers and legislative assistance they might need to do their job properly. Why don’t you try that instead of making stupid, spurious comments about the opposition which have no substance whatsoever.

MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (4.04): I move:

That the question be now put.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (4.07): I seek leave to move a further amendment.

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