Page 2825 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 21 October 1992
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the Director of Public Prosecutions factors which should lead, perhaps, to a prosecutorial discretion not to proceed or to the sentencing judge or magistrate dealing with the person other than through the ordinary imposition of a sentence of imprisonment. So, we are starting the move in that direction.
We have also indicated that we are looking at the Crimes Act in conjunction with the establishment of the Mental Health Tribunal - they have to go together - to tidy up and modernise the law in this Territory in relation to mentally ill and intellectually disabled offenders. Again, it is a focus on alternative methods of dealing with these people, to divert them from the criminal justice system's inevitable term of imprisonment back into the health system. This is something which has had to be done in close cooperation with my colleague Mr Berry, and our two agencies have been working very closely in that direction.
Mr Humphries, in his opening remarks, made some reference to me praising the Alliance Government. I think that what he had in mind was some interviews that we did earlier this year where I made the point that I made at the outset here; that over the three years since self-government more progress has been made in this area than had been made in decades before. We acknowledge in that respect that there has been slow and steady progress. That point was made by us in our public submission to the Burdekin inquiry. Some of the work that was started under Mr Humphries's administration was positive; certainly Balancing Rights, as we have acknowledged, was a benchmark study. We have now proceeded, in the 16 months that we have been in office, to get in place - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: I am sorry to interrupt you, Mr Connolly, but it is 12.30 pm. The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 77, as amended by temporary order.
Sitting suspended from 12.30 to 2.30 pm
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Cook and Lyons Primary Schools
MR KAINE: Madam Speaker, through you, I direct a question to the Minister for Education. Minister, with the wisdom of hindsight, would you now concede that the Government's policy of reopening Cook and Lyons schools was wrong, noting specifically that, while student numbers remain even now unsustainably low, at only 223 at both schools, the costs incurred were well in excess of the $600,000 you estimated?
MR WOOD: If Mr Kaine were to go to Cook school, as I did recently, and see the programs that are operating there, I think he would join me in saying that it has been a great success to reopen those schools. I have not been to Lyons school during class time, although I have been there for the evening activities that schools traditionally run. My comment about Lyons school is the same - that the level of student, teacher and parental involvement and enthusiasm is extraordinarily high. As far as I can see, both schools are operating extremely well.
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