Page 5375 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2011

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We will not be supporting Mr Rattenbury’s amendments. They are dodging the issue and selling the police out. We think it is serious. We think 48 assaults on police is far too high. We think that should be noted and that we should, as a statement of principle, be saying as an Assembly today that we will back the police. We will back them with tougher penalties. You can debate how you will do that. You can debate the various mechanisms for that. But that is a statement of principle that we believe in very deeply. We would have expected that at least one of the other parties in this place would share that principle.

Question put:

That Mr Rattenbury’s amendments to Mr Hanson’s proposed amendments be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 10

Noes 5

Mr Barr

Mr Hargreaves

Mr Doszpot

Mr Smyth

Dr Bourke

Ms Hunter

Mrs Dunne

Ms Bresnan

Ms Le Couteur

Mr Hanson

Ms Burch

Ms Porter

Mr Seselja

Mr Corbell

Mr Rattenbury

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Mr Hanson’s amendments, as amended, agreed to.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): The question now is that the motion, as amended, be agreed to.

MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (12.09): I thank members for their support in recognition of the fine work of the achievements of ACT Policing and all who serve in it. As I have said previously, it is important that we recognise these good results so that the public are aware of these achievements and are reassured in relation to their safety. In the past, we have seen clear campaigns run by those opposite focusing on the negative and not highlighting the successes that have been and are being achieved.

As Mr Corbell said, these results are not just numbers on a piece of a paper; they are a demonstration of how much safer our community is. Our community is safer because of these achievements of ACT Policing. As Mr Corbell said, this is experienced in a very real way by individuals and families who now feel safer in their own homes.

Mr Corbell also drew attention to the great improvement in relation to alcohol-related crime and the link to our liquor licensing laws. This is a very pleasing result indeed; it goes a long way to making our streets safer for everyone, including our police officers.

As Mr Rattenbury says, there is important work continuing with regard to those who would offend or who have offended, in helping to turn lives around and reducing the

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