Page 4465 - Week 15 - Thursday, 22 November 1990
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MR STEFANIAK: Why should I say anything about Mr Yabsley? He is a very nice fellow. I have met him several times.
MR COLLAERY (Minister for Housing and Community Services) (11.22): Mr Speaker, I do not think there was anything in Mr Berry's speech that deserves any comment, other than that. I issue a challenge to Mr Berry to look you clearly in the face, Mr Speaker, and spell the word "recidivism" without glancing at his brief.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry?
MR BERRY (11.22): At least I can say it.
Mr Kaine: He obviously cannot spell it. He did not accept the challenge.
MR BERRY: No, but others opposite cannot even say it. I rise briefly to touch on another couple of areas, one of which was raised by Mr Jensen who rose to defend his colleague Mr Collaery. I think Mr Jensen missed the point in relation to the measurement of recidivism. The point was that the department put in a key performance indicator which could not be measured. It admitted that, and I think that really pointed up the usefulness of the Estimates Committee process because we were able to discover that everything was not well.
I also recall with some horror that there was some comment within the budget papers that a stated objective in relation to community programs, including programs of community agencies, youth and corrective services, was equitable, accessible and affordable corrective services. Does this guarantee access to the poor or the rich? It seemed to me a strange set of words to describe corrective services. Nevertheless, it is still an area of concern, because it demonstrated that there are some difficulties with the management of that program. I am sure that as a result of the constructive criticism about it there will be change.
Mr Speaker, there are problems at the Belconnen Remand Centre. There have always been, in recent memory, difficulties with the centre and the services that are being provided there. The Follett Labor Government moved to provide services, but this Government blocked it shortly after it came into office, until it was discovered that it had done the wrong thing, and now it has moved to do something about the provision of services in that centre. But more needs to be done, and the management of that program needs to be closely looked at in order that we can be assured that the community's money is being properly spent in a way which will benefit the community.
MR JENSEN (11.25): Mr Speaker, I rise to take up once again a couple of issues in relation to this matter, which have been raised by Mr Berry. I have taken the liberty of looking at pages 828 and 829 of the Estimates Committee
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