Published Wednesday, 28 February, 2007 at 03:17 PM
Minister for Police and Corrective Services
The Honourable Judy Spence
HARDGRAVE: DIRTY TRICKS CONTINUE
Police Minister Judy Spence has criticised a federal Queensland MP for his tirade on local policing issues and immigration last night.
Ms Spence said the Member for Moreton, Gary Hardgrave, was both offensive and inaccurate in his understanding of local community safety issues.
“I can understand Gary Hardgrave’s desperation because the Howard Government’s popularity is continuing to plummet,” Ms Spence said.
“For more than a decade, Gary Hardgrave has failed to deliver for the constituents of Moreton and now he is trying to cover up his own poor performance, including his recent sacking as a Minister, by running on state issues.
“Gary Hardgrave refuses to talk about federal issues such as industrial relations, WorkChoices, the shortage of doctors, his failure to secure any money from the federal government to take the trucks off Kessels Road, or his government’s failure to fund migrant resettlement integration programs.
“He also does not want to talk about the federal government providing money for public housing.
“These are all issues that are important with constituents but instead he is diverting attention away from his own failings.”
In his extraordinary outburst in parliament last night, Mr Hardgrave also called for more police to deal with the ‘tens of thousands African faces in the community’.
“No wonder John Howard took the Multicultural Affairs portfolio from him as these kinds of comments are more like something Pauline Hanson would say,” Ms Spence said.
Ms Spence said his claims that the Moorooka Police Station was only providing a 24 hour service every second week were nothing more than scaremongering.
“This is plain wrong. I have been to Moorooka and when I was there police told me Gary Hardgrave had not stepped a foot in the door.
“Residents in Moorooka receive a strong and effective policing presence 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Ms Spence said.
“Since the Beattie Government was first elected in 1998, we have increased police numbers in the Oxley District, which includes Moorooka, by almost 30% - from 202, to 282.
“He claims to speak on behalf of police in the region, however just last week a police union spokesperson labelled his support for more police resources as ‘blatant political point scoring’.
“The union spokesman was quoted as saying he had sought two meetings with Mr Hardgrave in the past few years about police matters, only to be told on both occasions that he was ‘too busy’.”
“If Gary Hardgrave has a problem with the Sudanese population he only has himself to blame as it is the Federal government who sets the rules for immigration into this country.
“I expect to see more anxious tirades this year from desperate Howard Government MPs as we get closer to a federal election date.”
Media contact: Alison Smith 3239 6172 / 0439 673 287
Ms Spence said the Member for Moreton, Gary Hardgrave, was both offensive and inaccurate in his understanding of local community safety issues.
“I can understand Gary Hardgrave’s desperation because the Howard Government’s popularity is continuing to plummet,” Ms Spence said.
“For more than a decade, Gary Hardgrave has failed to deliver for the constituents of Moreton and now he is trying to cover up his own poor performance, including his recent sacking as a Minister, by running on state issues.
“Gary Hardgrave refuses to talk about federal issues such as industrial relations, WorkChoices, the shortage of doctors, his failure to secure any money from the federal government to take the trucks off Kessels Road, or his government’s failure to fund migrant resettlement integration programs.
“He also does not want to talk about the federal government providing money for public housing.
“These are all issues that are important with constituents but instead he is diverting attention away from his own failings.”
In his extraordinary outburst in parliament last night, Mr Hardgrave also called for more police to deal with the ‘tens of thousands African faces in the community’.
“No wonder John Howard took the Multicultural Affairs portfolio from him as these kinds of comments are more like something Pauline Hanson would say,” Ms Spence said.
Ms Spence said his claims that the Moorooka Police Station was only providing a 24 hour service every second week were nothing more than scaremongering.
“This is plain wrong. I have been to Moorooka and when I was there police told me Gary Hardgrave had not stepped a foot in the door.
“Residents in Moorooka receive a strong and effective policing presence 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Ms Spence said.
“Since the Beattie Government was first elected in 1998, we have increased police numbers in the Oxley District, which includes Moorooka, by almost 30% - from 202, to 282.
“He claims to speak on behalf of police in the region, however just last week a police union spokesperson labelled his support for more police resources as ‘blatant political point scoring’.
“The union spokesman was quoted as saying he had sought two meetings with Mr Hardgrave in the past few years about police matters, only to be told on both occasions that he was ‘too busy’.”
“If Gary Hardgrave has a problem with the Sudanese population he only has himself to blame as it is the Federal government who sets the rules for immigration into this country.
“I expect to see more anxious tirades this year from desperate Howard Government MPs as we get closer to a federal election date.”
Media contact: Alison Smith 3239 6172 / 0439 673 287