Police Corruption
Page: 19061
Mr SOURIS: My question is directed to the Premier. Given the Premier's comments on 5 February 1996 that he cannot protect young people from drugs without a clean police service, and the recent evidence of police franchising drug dealers on the northern beaches, does he agree with his new Minister for Police that police have spent too much time and effort worrying about corruption?
Mr CARR: This is an extraordinary question from an Opposition that only a couple of weeks ago launched an attack on the Police Integrity Commission [PIC], the very body set up, in response to a recommendation from the police royal commission, to be a standing royal commission.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I remind the Leader of the National Party that he has been called to order.
[Interruption]
Mr CARR: The Leader of the Opposition keeps attacking the new Minister for Police. I think she is just upset about the kind of publicity he is achieving for the Government's policies.
Mrs Chikarovski: Point of order: I ask you to apply the same rules to the Premier as you applied to members on this side of the House.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The point of order taken by the Leader of the Opposition has some substance. I am sure the Premier will not repeat that behaviour.
Mr CARR: Aren't they tetchy? I do not think I am wrong in detecting in that little intervention a strong hint of frustration. There is a nastiness that is gripping the debate. Isn't it sad when that level of enmity has to enter the exchanges of this House? I find it sad and deplorable. The former Premier—my old football pal, John Fahey—said in May 1994 that the establishment of the police royal commission into corruption was a tragedy, an absolute tragedy. That is what he said. He said it was a tragedy. And we remember, indeed we could never forget, the comments of that distinguished former police Minister, Terry Griffiths, in this House when he condemned the former member for South Coast. It was an Independent seat in those days; it is now a Labor seat.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the honourable member for Myall Lakes to order.
Mr CARR: Terry Griffiths said of the motion about a royal commission into police corruption, that all of the allegations made in that famous May 1994 debate were fantasy. Fantasy! Police corruption, according to the former colleague of those opposite was a fantasy.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I place the Deputy Leader of the Opposition on two calls to order.
Mr Tink: Point of order: My point is that the Premier's latest police Minister will not target corruption. The Premier's latest boy will not target corruption. You put him in. You put in somebody who will not target corruption.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Epping will resume his seat.
Mr CARR: Terry Griffiths said that all the allegations of corruption that led to the establishment of the royal commission in 1994 were fantasy.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much noise in the Chamber. I place all members on three calls to order.
Mr CARR: He said they were fantasies, indeed! Terry Griffiths said all these allegations were fantasies.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! If the honourable member for Coffs Harbour wishes me to call him to order, I will do so. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the call. However, if he continues to disobey the directions of the Chair I will ask the Serjeant-at-Arms to remove him from the Chamber. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.
Mr O'Farrell: Point of order—
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.
Mr O'Farrell: I am taking a point of order.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. If he does not do so, I will ask the Serjeant-at-Arms to remove him from the Chamber.
Mr CARR: Then this House gathered in May 1994—I remember it vividly and it was good sense. It considered the Hatton motion and, with the support of the three non-aligned Independents, as I think they were called, and the Labor Opposition, proudly the Hatton motion was carried and the royal commission into police corruption was set up. As a result of its work, the Police Integrity Commission was established. Now Opposition members say, by implication, that they would dismantle the Police Integrity Commission, because they have denounced it. They said, only recently, that the head of the PIC should be summoned to this House to answer their criticisms.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Baulkham Hills has been called to order on three occasions. I ask the Serjeant-at-Arms to remove him from the Chamber.
[The honourable member for Baulkham Hills left the Chamber, accompanied by the Serjeant-at-Arms.]
Mr Slack-Smith: Point of order: I am not aware of the honourable member for Baulkham Hills having been called to order once, let alone three times. I also do not think my colleagues could be on three calls to order.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Chair has placed every member on three calls to order. If members continue to interrupt they will be treated in the same way as the honourable member for Baulkham Hills.
Mr CARR: As he was being led from the House a member of the Liberal Party said, "Plead stupidity". The record is clear, we have set up the institutions to prevent a recurrence of the systematic and widespread corruption, which was a feature of policing in New South Wales under the former Government and triggered the establishment of the police royal commission. The Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the National Party, to their eternal shame and discredit, voted against it.