Page 2147 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 3 August 2021
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incumbent on him to take further steps, extra care and extra duty to make sure that our detainees, our corrections officers and our community are kept safe.
I commend Mrs Kikkert’s motion to the Assembly. The minister’s record speaks for itself, and he must go.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism) (10.33): The government will not be supporting the no confidence motion outlined by the shadow minister. I want to take the opportunity to express my strong support for Minister Gentleman and the work that he is undertaking in the corrections portfolio.
Minister Gentleman brings experience, compassion and a desire to work with key stakeholders to implement a series of changes within the portfolio. He brings goodwill, a strong, progressive commitment to reform and the capacity to deliver change. He does so in a measured and inclusive way. That is why he has been a minister across many different portfolios in this place for many years. He is experienced; he works well with the ACT public service and with stakeholders.
Anyone who has witnessed his work over many years would appreciate that style and that approach. It is the sort of measured ministerial role you want in a portfolio as challenging as corrections. It stands in marked contrast to what we have witnessed this morning.
This is a difficult and challenging area, but I do not think anyone in the community would doubt Minister Gentleman’s commitment as a longstanding representative in this place and as a diligent and engaged minister. Upon taking the portfolio, he has put in place a range of mechanisms and measures to engage with the key stakeholders to deliver a blueprint for change, and he is implementing those reforms.
What we have witnessed this morning, Madam Speaker, is opposition for opposition’s sake—the sort of standard negativity that you get from a long-term opposition, bereft of any new ideas of their own and seeking an opportunity to grandstand and score political points off a dedicated and engaged minister.
Minister Gentleman is undertaking a series of difficult reforms, but he has the full support of his colleagues in order to achieve that. I want to thank him for that work. I have a very clear understanding of the challenges associated with delivering it, but I am confident that he will be able to do so with the goodwill of, and in partnership with, the key stakeholders. That is what is needed now, not shouty, negative opposition hubbub for the sake of it, which we see a lot of from the shadow minister. We will not be supporting this no confidence motion.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (10.37): As Mr Braddock has outlined, the ACT Greens will not be supporting this no confidence motion today. We do not believe it is warranted and we have confidence in Minister Gentleman as the Minister for Corrections.
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