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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (11 November) . . Page.. 3904 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

the BRC, I point out that there is stronger scrutiny here. I have absolutely no doubt that those bodies will quickly and effectively raise any concerns that might arise from any decision of the director. So, really, the protections are there, and the need is there too. It is not something that would be exercised all that frequently. There is, nevertheless, a very real need for it. I think it is not appropriate to say, "This can wait until we end up with new legislation". This legislation would not have been brought on had there not been a number of problems and a very real need for those problems to be rectified.

Members have rectified a significant problem already by their support for the Crimes (Amendment) Bill. I thank them for that. But there is a very real need here to make these sensible amendments, which will enhance the proper workings of Quamby and also will enhance the rehabilitation aspects for juvenile offenders - which are terribly important - which are proceeding there and which are assisting many offenders, but which would, I think, be jeopardised in instances where the courts simply would not be able to move very difficult young offenders to more appropriate institutions interstate that would benefit everyone.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Clauses 1 to 4, by leave, taken together, and agreed to.

Clauses 5 to 9, by leave, taken together

MS REILLY (12.14): I just want to add a few points in relation to things that have been said by other members since I spoke previously. One of the concerns I have - and I do not think it has been allayed by anything that has been said by Mr Stefaniak - is whether the courts are able to cope at this stage with the current situations. That is one part of it. The other part of it is that the Minister said that there are more serious crimes being committed by juveniles. He mentioned murder and armed robbery. I understand that this is the case. These are serious crimes. But surely it is not the seriousness of the crime that affects what happens to the juvenile in Quamby; it is some of the issues that Mr Stefaniak raised. We should not be looking at the crime as the basis for what sort of institution that person should be in, because we are looking at juveniles and we are looking at methods and ways in which to rehabilitate these people.

The other aspect of it is that no-one has presented any indication - in relation to what has been done to address these issues of troublesome kids - that the only response can be to send them interstate. Mr Stefaniak, you talked about standover tactics and the programs that these young people might be doing at Quamby. They might be suitable for them; but they are still standing over younger people. You mentioned the issue of the quite broad range of age groups within Quamby. But surely, if this is continuing, some of the programs are not addressing those issues of standover tactics, violence and management of behaviour. It appears that there is a total lack of imagination, lateral thinking or

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