Page 4551 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 26 November 2019
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Mrs Dunne: On a point of order on relevance, Madam Speaker, the question was: why do we have fewer front-line police today compared to 2010? I ask you to ask the minister to be directly relevant to the question.
MADAM SPEAKER: Have you concluded your answer, minister?
MR GENTLEMAN: I have.
MR COE: Minister, again, why do we have fewer frontline police in the ACT today compared to 2010, and why do we also have fewer police per capita in the territory than in any other jurisdiction in the country?
MR GENTLEMAN: Our police force works on crime intelligence, to ensure that we get the best results per dollar and per officer across the ACT. We have had an increase in arrests. I point to a number of occasions of work that our ACT police have done over this month. A 48-year-old Chisholm man will face court today charged with arson and weapons offences. Two drivers caught in separate incidents by ACT Policing on the night of Saturday, 16 November will face a total of 12 charges. Further, in November, police have charged three men following an aggravated robbery.
Mr Coe: Keep celebrating the crimes.
MR GENTLEMAN: I am talking about the work that our police officers are doing on the ground. We can have interjections of scare tactics from the current Leader of the Opposition but in fact what we are doing on this side of the chamber is investing in our police force, and those results are coming to fruition.
Mr Coe: A point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat. A point of order, Mr Coe?
Mr Coe: Madam Speaker, we have had two very simple questions: why do we have fewer frontline police in the ACT compared to nine years ago, and why are there fewer police per capita in the ACT than in any other jurisdiction? He has not answered those questions.
MADAM SPEAKER: Minister, you have—
MR GENTLEMAN: Madam Speaker, I do not agree with the premise of his question. Every single year, we have invested in more frontline officers and we will continue to do so. Those opposite, of course, will vote against that investment. They continue each year to vote against our investment in ACT Policing, and we will support that investment.
Members interjecting—
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