Page 2809 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Our jails will just fill up. We will have to build more jails, and when those people are released, because ultimately they will be, they will come back out and they will start reoffending. We can keep doing it that way, or we can try and do something different, and that is what the government is trying to achieve through a commitment to justice reinvestment and to putting resources in place that are going to make a difference.
There is a lot more I would like to say, because there has been a lot of commentary made, and I am going to run out of time. It is worth noting, Mr Hanson spoke of the comments of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the statistics. It is also worth noting that the Director of Public Prosecutions was so concerned by the way his data was being twisted that he felt the need to come back to the press and clarify why they were having more success in appeals because of the additional resources they have put into it and the building of expertise in their own agency. He expressed his explicit concern that his statements were being used to falsely erode confidence in the justice system. He could not have been clearer.
I believe a sentencing council, as we have talked about, and that exists in several other Australian jurisdictions—despite Mr Hanson calling it a sham, it is a recognised mechanism in this country—can make a real difference. It is an effective and accountable way to make sure that the rules by which people are sentenced are appropriate. It will also enable us to have holistic, informed, and evidence-based approaches to these issues.
We could have a one-off review, but I do not think that will make the difference. I think having sustained commitment to working through these areas as they arise is a far better approach.
Clearly, I will not be supporting this motion today. The premise of the motion suggests that I and the government do not take matters of community safety seriously, simply because we do not agree with the idea that there should be a review of the judiciary and sentencing in the terms that Mr Hanson and the petitions have outlined. He suggests we are not considering the issues that have been raised by the community as points of concern. Nothing could be further from the truth.
While I do not support the specific proposal, I have never said there is no work to be done here. As I have outlined in my remarks today, other ministers and I are undertaking a series of steps designed to improve road safety, reduce crime and recidivism and make our community safer.
I will continue to work with my directorate on the way reoffending is treated in bail and sentencing decisions, and I will be setting up a council to provide sustained analysis and development on sentencing matters. These are the kinds of reforms to the justice system that our community expects us to take, and it will keep the community safer now and in the future.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism) (10.42): I will be brief: the government will not be supporting the no-confidence motion. We have
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video