200 new police officers, new station for Molonglo in Liberals' $60 million community safety package

I am underwhelmed but not surprised by this policy announcement from the Canberra Liberals. What would one expect from the most socially conservative branch of the party in Australia. Elizabeth Lee’s shameless support in bringing this policy reveals who is really in charge in the party and her lack of authority. It also reveals yet again how low she is prepared to stoop to appease her party’s dominant right.

This supposedly new and reformed party in trying to appeal to the country’s most progressive and educated electorate is trotting out the same tough on crime policies they bring to every election. Jack’s Law was recently debated in the Assembly and is an attempt by the Liberals to give the police more powers to target and search individuals without grounds or reasonable suspicion. ACT voters need to be forever vigilant of this party and their attempts to introduce laws which restrict our liberties and hard-won rights, including their watering down of the ACT’s Human Rights Act.

Many in the party and current candidates are closely associated with religious and far-right fringe groups including Right to Life and Advance. The party’s conservative voting record is testament to what they have planned should they ever win government in the ACT. The party has vociferously opposed the Voice referendum, drug reforms, women’s rights and voluntary assisted dying laws just to name a few.

I am not surprised at your enthusiasm for this policy judging by your extreme and regular contributions to this site Ken M. Many of your comments are typical of what can be found on the Young Liberals Facebook site.

Took a while for the media team to come up with this rambling nonsense, Jack. 🤣

Ah Jack, we are all underwhelmed and unsurprised by your response. After all, you are anti Police and Policing and anti Elizabeth Lee. But you’ve also shown yourself to be anti women, with your spray of spittle and dribble directed towards all female Liberal MLAs. And you also conveniently forget that half the Liberal MLAs voted for the Voice. Of course that doesn’t fit your narrative, as dictated to you by Barr and your CMFEU overlords, themselves as anti Police as you are. What a coincidence! A corrupt organisation just as extreme view wise, as extreme far right groups. Two sides of the same coin. But you already knew that, didn’t you Jack. You just choose to ignore it.
Keep talking Jack. Your obvious double standards and hypocrisy will turn off any swinging voters towards to Labor/Greens coalition here in the ACT.

I am a robust feminist Gregg Heldon surrounded by smart and marvellous women. I am also a strong advocate for the CFMEU and other unions around Canberra and will continue to do so into the future, proudly supporting their vigorous activism for worker’s and women’s rights and safety. Labor and its unions lead the way in striving for equality and representation of women. The ALP introduced quotas for winnable seats 30 years ago at its 1994 National conference, establishing many of the reforms that continue to drive gender equality in the party with Senator Katy Gallagher and Alicia Payne sitting in our parliament today.

Women inside the Liberal party, a party you support, continue to be subjected to ridicule for raising gender equality concerns. At a recent AGM the party’s women, silenced for too long, were shouted down for raising the issue of equality. The sexual assault, harassment and bullying claims made during the term of the last LNP government continue to be played out in our courts today. A record number of women were elected to the lower house at the last federal election but Liberal party women shamefully have just 9 of its 42 seats.

Despite your false assertions I am not anti-police. I support the Territory having its own police force with ministerial and Integrity Commission oversight which it is currently exempted from. This follows criticism from government and leading members of the legal fraternity, questioning the ethical standards of some of our police and its leadership including a lack of knowledge and training, entrenched sexism and bullying, failing victims of sexual assault and rewarding of bad behaviour, to name a few.

The Canberra Liberals used the party’s platform in the campaign against the Voice referendum, all supported by its leadership team and funding from Advance!

Well Jack, you just keep supporting that corrupt organisation, the CMFEU and, by close association, the ACT Labor party. Your happy to do so.
I prefer my politics less corrupted and bullying.
And yes, you are anti Police. Your previous response to refusing to pull over for emergency services on Limestone Ave proved that. Either that, or your massively entitled.
The AFP and ACT Policing isn’t perfect, but what organisation is. I am proud to say that I worked on both sides for 13 1/2 years doing, among other duties, handling 000 calls and viewing Child Exploitation Material. All as an unsworn officer. I know I saved lives and make lives better. Every one, I’m sure, feels the same way.

I admire your tenacity and commitment Gregg Heldon. The ACT Police come under federal jurisdiction and are immune from ministerial and Integrity Commission investigations. I will continue my efforts in advocating for an independent ACT police force which represents Canberrans and our city’s best interests. One journalist recently described our force as a cancer on society, posing the question on whether they are the most corrupt in the country.

Negative press and ongoing criticism from the courts, legal profession and government are all part and parcel of policing in the ACT, questioning the ethics and moral standards of senior police officers and the force’s leadership. Recent criticisms have included heavy handed and aggressive tactics when making arrests, police lying under cross-examination, carrying out fishing expeditions when accessing personal information, leaking of a complainants personal and confidential information to the press in a high-profile rape case and a lack of transparency in investigations. There are a number of long running and high profile internal police investigations underway with their outcomes unlikely to ever be released.

I am looking forward to our government tearing up its contract with the AFP and employing our own force answerable to our city and its citizens.

All first responders agencies should have a mirror held up to them and be asked if they can do better. It’s only right. As should all Government departments at all levels. And any bad apples should be removed. And we have seen this happen in the past and no doubt, will do in the future. It’s the right thing to do.
I also noticed in another article here on Riotact where you castigate three Green Female MLAs. It’s a strange form of misogyny Jack, having a go, mostly at all female MLAs that aren’t Labor. Although I do agree about Emma Davidson, she is particularly useless, especially as Mental Health Minister. Her performance in that portfolio is nothing short of invisible.

Political debate is healthy in any democracy Gregg Heldon. Any criticisms I have made in these discussions are made within the boundaries of proper debate. My opinions have been directed at parliamentarians, both male and female from all sides of government. This has included Emma Davidson who I am disappointed in as Human Rights Minister. I would never, nor would I ever call her or anyone else “useless” which you have been given space to do. She is not!

I am well aware of the good work Emma Davidson has performed both in government and prior to her entering politics. This has included her leading and strong advocacy work for families, women and the disadvantaged.