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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 7 Hansard (2 July) . . Page.. 2220 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

decision to establish the AJAC is an initiative that I applaud. Its genesis has been significantly delayed or strung out. I understand that the thing is moving now and I do hope that is something that the Minister and his department continue to progress.

It is obvious that there is a significant role for an Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee to play in the ACT. I think it is a very good initiative, and I would hope that the Minister, as indicated in the Estimates Committee and in the Government's response, will continue to give that initiative his attention and the support that it deserves.

There is a significant issue in Canberra, as there is elsewhere in Australia, in relation to the interaction of indigenous people with the criminal justice system. I think this is a very significant question for all communities. I have raised it before, and I raise it again. I think it is something that we should not underestimate in the ACT. There are significant issues in this community in relation to the rate at which indigenous youth, indigenous women and indigenous men interface with the criminal justice system. I understand that we now have one Aboriginal liaison officer with the Australian Federal Police. I think that is a wonderful initiative. I do wonder whether we might benefit even more by focusing even more on that area.

I have constituents, as I am sure we all do, who contact me from time to time about issues that arise at both ends of the relationship of indigenous people with the criminal justice system. There are high rates of criminality and high arrest rates. There are difficulties within the community for people affected by lawlessness perceived to be lawlessness involving indigenous people. It is a very difficult issue and it is one that we, as a community, tend to run from at times. I am sure we have all had representations from some non-indigenous residents of Burnie Court, for instance, about perceptions that much of the lawlessness there is related to the high percentage of indigenous people currently living there. I do not know the answers to that. It is a very significant issue, and it is one that I hope the Government continues to wrestle with and address.

Recommendation No. 39 in the Estimates Committee report related to the need or the desirability of an annual report by the Official Visitor to the BRC. I understand that the Government is prepared to accept that recommendation. I think that is a very useful thing.

Recommendation No. 42 relates to the need for a formal memorandum of understanding with the Privacy Commissioner. This is another recommendation of the Estimates Committee which the Government has been willing to accept. I think these are all extremely useful recommendations. They do highlight the usefulness and the value of the estimates process and the work of this particular Estimates Committee. This report has received some criticism but there are some particularly good recommendations in it. I think the fact that the Government has willingly accepted some of those recommendations speaks volumes for the value of the process.

An issue discussed by the Estimates Committee was the extent to which the ACT Supreme Court allows access by people who require wheelchairs for their mobility. There has been some public discussion of this. I think it came as a surprise to many of us, and a disappointment, to learn that there are still government controlled or utilised

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