Page 1351 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 12 May 1993
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The fact that we have this report being done does not preclude other actions. Nevertheless, Madam Speaker, it is the case that arrangements have been made - I have been advised by the head of my department - to keep both the Australian Federal Police and the Director or Public Prosecutions appropriately informed on this matter.
MR DE DOMENICO: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I am assuming, therefore, that there has been contact made with the Australian Federal Police. Will this now mean, Chief Minister, that the Australian Federal Police are also involved in the investigation? If so, who will lead the investigation - the Australian Federal Police or officers of your department?
MS FOLLETT: The inquiry that is going on at the moment under the Public Service Act is the only current inquiry that I am aware of. As I said before, it may subsequently lead to further inquiry and further action; but to the best of my knowledge there are not concurrent inquiries occurring.
Aborigines in Custody
MS SZUTY: My question without notice is to the Attorney-General, Mr Connolly, and it concerns Aboriginal deaths in custody. I gave the Attorney notice that I would be asking this question this afternoon. The most recent report of the "Deaths in Custody Australia" survey shows that in the ACT Aborigines are overrepresented in the figures of people taken into custody by a factor of 4.4. Can the Minister inform the Assembly as to what measures are being taken, or will be taken, to address this issue and to overcome this overrepresentation?
MR CONNOLLY: I thank Ms Szuty for the courtesy of advising me of this question because it did allow us to undertake some research to give a more comprehensive answer. The fact that Aboriginal people are overrepresented in police custody in the survey month of August 1992 by a factor of 4.4 times the average rate they should be is a matter of concern to government. It should, however, be viewed against the national average of overrepresentation by a factor of 26.2. The survey which I have of 1988 shows that then the level of overrepresentation in Australia was a factor of 27 and the ACT level was a factor of 11. While the level of overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in police custody in Australia has declined slightly from a factor of 27 to a factor of 26.2, the rate of overrepresentation in the ACT has declined dramatically - from a factor of 11 down to a factor of 4.4. That is still, however, too high. Members, I am sure, would agree that no ethnic or community group should be statistically overrepresented. We would expect that a justice system would result in people of all backgrounds coming before the justice system equally.
The Government has been taking a range of initiatives over the last 12 months or more to try to bring these figures down. These include the establishment by the Chief Minister of the ACT Aboriginal Advisory Council. The AFP has been running cultural awareness workshops amongst their front-line officers, and that is a very important factor. The AFP also has an Aboriginal liaison officer identified at a quite senior level within the organisation who liaises closely with local Aboriginal communities. There is a very effective mechanism in place so that when a person of Aboriginal descent is taken into police custody
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