Page 2765 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 6 October 2021

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video

---

Let us not pretend that the Labor and the Greens care about human rights. Let us stop pretending that the prison is human rights compliant. Let us stop all of this pretence.

In closing, I thank the officers and staff at the prison for the exceptional work that they do in such hard circumstances. I support the work they do. And it heartens me that in every inspector’s report the officers are praised for their bravery and professionalism. I too recognise it and will continue working to improve the conditions at the AMC. Also in closing, I just want to correct Ms Berry on what I said about the cleaners. I said that 15 of them are primary cleaning positions. These are good skills to have—good skills to have. There is no denial in that! I rest my case.

MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Attorney-General, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Gaming and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction) (11.47): I seek leave to make a personal explanation. I feel I have been misrepresented.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Pettersson): Mr Rattenbury, I think you are referring to standing order 47. You have the call.

MR RATTENBURY: I will be brief. Mrs Kikkert has alleged that I deactivated a body scanner at the AMC. I will acknowledge the effect of the statement that there was not a working one, but it was not a policy decision to deactivate. The machine was malfunctioning. It was no longer usable. So this was not a deliberate effort by the government to no longer use a body scanner.

Mr Hanson: Mr Assistant Speaker, on a point of order, this is clearly a debating point. We have had the debate and he is trying to continue on with the debate. There is no personal explanation.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, there is no point of order. He was speaking to the explanation.

MR RATTENBURY: I am trying to be brief. I think there is a material difference between a deliberate decision to deactivate and a malfunctioning machine. I acknowledge the effect is the same. But Mrs Kikkert’s words seek to represent a motivation that was not present in the circumstances.

Question put:

That the motion be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

---

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video