Dr LIM - 2007-04-18
I find the Chief Minister’s and the minister for Police’s comments hard to believe. You said that Operation City Safe will go on indefinitely. Yesterday, Senior Sergeant Rob Burgoyne directly contradicted your comments about City Safe. He said the level of policing during Operation City Safe could not be maintained indefinitely. Then, last night on television, we discovered that you are gutting the Property Crime Unit and the Domestic and Personal Violence Unit. Chief Minister, can you tell residents of Alice Springs how gutting two units to prop up another makes good police sense?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that was a slightly confused question, but I think I understand what the member for Greatorex is talking about. I will quote our Police Commissioner. It was an interesting story on Imparja last night, because the comments from Superintendent Burgoyne were actually made a week-and-a-half ago. It made for an interesting story, but not a contemporary story. I will quote …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, would you please pause? Leader of the Opposition, you were referring to the Police Commissioner. I would like you to withdraw those comments regarding the Police Commissioner.
Ms CARNEY: With respect, Madam Speaker, it was not the Police Commissioner. It was a superintendent. I merely suggested to the Chief Minister that she suggested that he lied last week. I certainly would never accuse Superintendent Rob Burgoyne of lying, although I might do the same of the Chief Minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I would like you to withdraw your last comment, please.
Ms CARNEY: So be it, Madam Speaker. I withdraw the comment.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Chief Minister, please continue.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I was making the point that the comments were taken at different times and, as far as an important operation like Operation City Safe goes, I quote from the Police Commissioner. In today’s media release, he said:
The success we have seen with Operation City Safe over the last few weeks will continue in Alice Springs. The important thing to remember about what we are doing through policing and the decisions of the police in Alice Springs, is that, where the issues and hot spots are, police are responding to that. It does not mean they are not responding to other issues but, if there is trouble in the mall or on North Side, the police will be there. That is a commitment from our Police Commissioner and our Police minister, and me as Chief Minister.
You can have this questioning from the opposition about what is happening to this and that, but this community says: ‘We want to have the police at hot spots, making our community safe’, and that is what our Police Commissioner has committed to and what the full establishment of police here in Alice Springs will do every day for this community.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that was a slightly confused question, but I think I understand what the member for Greatorex is talking about. I will quote our Police Commissioner. It was an interesting story on Imparja last night, because the comments from Superintendent Burgoyne were actually made a week-and-a-half ago. It made for an interesting story, but not a contemporary story. I will quote …
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, would you please pause? Leader of the Opposition, you were referring to the Police Commissioner. I would like you to withdraw those comments regarding the Police Commissioner.
Ms CARNEY: With respect, Madam Speaker, it was not the Police Commissioner. It was a superintendent. I merely suggested to the Chief Minister that she suggested that he lied last week. I certainly would never accuse Superintendent Rob Burgoyne of lying, although I might do the same of the Chief Minister.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I would like you to withdraw your last comment, please.
Ms CARNEY: So be it, Madam Speaker. I withdraw the comment.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Chief Minister, please continue.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, I was making the point that the comments were taken at different times and, as far as an important operation like Operation City Safe goes, I quote from the Police Commissioner. In today’s media release, he said:
- I support the work of Operation City Safe in dealing with antisocial behaviour and it will, along with other strategies, continue on a regular basis.
The success we have seen with Operation City Safe over the last few weeks will continue in Alice Springs. The important thing to remember about what we are doing through policing and the decisions of the police in Alice Springs, is that, where the issues and hot spots are, police are responding to that. It does not mean they are not responding to other issues but, if there is trouble in the mall or on North Side, the police will be there. That is a commitment from our Police Commissioner and our Police minister, and me as Chief Minister.
You can have this questioning from the opposition about what is happening to this and that, but this community says: ‘We want to have the police at hot spots, making our community safe’, and that is what our Police Commissioner has committed to and what the full establishment of police here in Alice Springs will do every day for this community.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016