Page 2746 - Week 09 - Thursday, 27 September 2007
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(g) the capacity of ACT Policing to undertake protracted targeted operations aimed at arresting offenders in the act; and
(h) what measures could effectively be undertaken to prevent further occurrences or to minimise the risk, including whether:
(i) discrete legislation is warranted to deal with the problem; and
(ii) if discrete legislation is warranted, whether that might include increased penalties;
We have asked that the committee be composed of one member of the government, one member of the opposition and a crossbencher. Why are we doing this? Why is the opposition proposing that such a select committee be established? I will outline my case.
For some four or more months, the opposition has been calling upon the ACT government to take urgent action to address the problem of rock and concrete block attacks on buses, cars and other vehicles. We have continually asked the government what steps it has taken to date, and what measures it intends to take to ameliorate the problem. The government has never convincingly answered these questions from the opposition. Like bus drivers, passengers and other Canberrans, the opposition remains sceptical and totally lacking in confidence that this government (a) takes the matter seriously and (b) has any idea what to do about the problem.
It is only a matter of time before somebody is seriously injured in the ACT as a consequence of this behaviour. The incidents continue to grow in frequency and the perpetrators remain unhassled; nor do they have any fear of arrest or serious incarceration. It is for these reasons that the opposition calls for an urgent select committee inquiry into this growing phenomenon. A select committee inquiry will certainly assist the government in analysing why this phenomenon is growing and in finding answers to combat the problem. Frankly, it is necessary because the government appears to have dropped the ball on this matter. Therefore, a committee might be able to produce concrete recommendations for the government to act on. It is the aim of the opposition to see a select committee inquiry which, fundamentally, would assist the government properly to combat the problem.
What is the situation in the ACT? For six or more months, there have been persistent reports of rock throwing attacks against buses, initially in the Belconnen area. Now, because the problem has never been nipped in the bud, and as a consequence of publicity and perhaps well-intended but misguided education programs, this problem has spread. As we know, when it comes to this sort of behaviour, copycat activities occur. Luckily, nobody has been reported as having been seriously injured to date. However, many people have been shaken up by the near misses, including passengers and bus drivers.
I will give a summary of the best-known incidents. Firstly, in August 2007 there was an incident involving a school bus in the Belconnen region—a region that was busy with students. A side window was shattered, distressing the students; the bus and
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