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March 3rd, 2013 
David Schulberg the 3rd
A FEDERAL government plan for a gang crime taskforce sounds very much like an old coalition proposal, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is expected to announce a joint police taskforce to combat gang crimes including gun violence and drive-by shootings, particularly in western Sydney, on Sunday.
The $64 million taskforce will include 70 federal and state police with bases in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, News Limited reports.
Mr Abbott says it sounds like a coalition proposal from the last election.
“It sounds very much like the government is playing catch-up politics here,” he told reporters at Auburn in western Sydney.
“We’ll have a good look at it. If it makes sense we’ll support it.”
However Mr Abbott says Labor’s record on crime control shows it doesn’t always live up to its promises.
“They promised in 2007 that there would be 500 additional AFP (Australian Federal Police) officers,” he said.
“They’ve actually cut more than $250 million out of the AFP and as part of those cuts, 97 officers went.”
The government also had cut $22 million from the Australian Crime Commission (ACC), he said.
“There are 144 fewer people in the ACC,” he said.
And $60 million had been cut from Customs, meaning less than 10 per cent of incoming air cargoes were now screened, the federal opposition leader said.
The NSW Labor opposition called on Premier Barry O’Farrell to back the anti-gang taskforce.
“After more than 200 shootings, it’s clear that whatever the O’Farrell government is doing just isn’t working,” Opposition Leader John Robertson said in a statement on Sunday.
“The Commonwealth has announced a taskforce today that will help tackle gang-related violence in western Sydney and the premier should support it.
“We need all the resources we can get to tackle gun crime and criminal gangs in Sydney’s west.”
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