Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Justice.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney will cease interjecting. She has been extended tolerance for being acting leader, but it has expired.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

The member for Lingiari will leave under 94(a).

The member for Lingiari then left the chamber.

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In 2013 the coalition committed $100,000 towards installation of four CCTV cameras around the perimeter of Belmont Forum and Belmont Village in my electorate of Swan. We made the commitment as the coalition recognised the need to boost security for my Belmont constituents and businesses. I might add that there was no commitment by Labor. Can the minister provide my constituents with an update on the status of this commitment?

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Swan for that question. I acknowledge the deep interest that he takes in the security of his constituents. The several times that I have been able to go to his electorate he has explained to me the priorities that he has for making sure that his constituents are as safe as possible.

Those on this side of the House are deeply committed to doing all we can to assist with local policing and making sure that our streets are secure. That is why since we have arrived in government we have allocated $50 million from the proceeds of crime for upgrades of local security infrastructure, such as the CCTV cameras that we promised prior to the last election in the member's electorate.

I am very pleased to be able to update him that, even though we promised four cameras, as a result of our $100,000 commitment, we will be able to install a further 12 cameras for a total of 16 for the same amount of money. This means that his constituents, particularly around the Belmont city centre, will have the benefit of a very significant investment from the federal government. I know that the member for Swan has discussed these issues with local police within his electorate. Of course, the Western Australian police are very supportive of this investment that we at a federal level are making to assist them to do this job.

The $50 million we have allocated from proceeds of crime would never have happened had the government not changed, because the previous administration refused to spend proceeds-of-crime money. They took that money and they allocated it towards their dodgy budget bottom line and refused to invest it in crime prevention programs in the way we have done since coming to office.

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That isn't true.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can hear the former minister yelling, 'That is totally untrue.' That is completely and utterly correct.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton is warned.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Proceeds of crime were not used to fund crime-fighting projects under the previous government. That money has only been unlocked since we arrived in office. We will continue to make sure that we make that investment.

If we had not done that, there would currently be over $100 billion from proceeds of crime locked up. We have been investing that in making sure that local communities, such as Belmont in the member's electorate, are as secure as they possibly can be. Those 16 cameras will go a long way to making sure that remains the case. I thank the member for Swan for his continued interest in protecting his constituents.