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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 3 Hansard (6 March) . . Page.. 609 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

elsewhere in the nation, the support that is needed to break the cycle of despair, disadvantage and discrimination that has characterised our treatment of indigenous people over the last 200 years.

Whilst I think the government's implementation report in relation to black deaths in custody, to the extent to which in a black-and-white sense we can be seen to have implemented the recommendations in relation to the black deaths in custody report-we can probably give ourselves a big tick and say, "There are a hundred recommendations and we have complied with them all"-indicators of indigenous disadvantage lead inexorably to conflict or contact between indigenous people and the criminal justice system which then leads to their appalling over-representation within our youth institutions and our jails. As a result of the enormous and appalling over-representation of indigenous people within our jails, within our criminal justice system and within our youth institutions, of course there is going to be an inordinate over-representation of black people in statistics on deaths in custody.

Whilst we can point at all the practical things we have done to make it hard for people within our institutions to kill themselves, we still have not addressed the underlying issues, despite some very good programs. I acknowledge the work the government has done in some respects to deal with some of these issues. Of course, it is never enough, but I do acknowledge that the government has made some moves. We simply have not addressed those issues that lead inexorably from disadvantage at birth to truancy from school, to a lack of support and nurturing at home, to flirtation with substance abuse, to crime, to jail, to death. Whilst the government, in tabling this report, might be giving some indication of the advances we have made, there is an awful long way to go.

Debate (on motion by Mr Quinlan ) adjourned to the next sitting.

Financial Management Act-instruments

Papers and statement by minister

MR HUMPHRIES (Chief Minister, Minister for Community Affairs and Treasurer) (4.01): For the information of members, I present the following papers:

I ask for leave to make a statement.

Leave granted.

MR HUMPHRIES: The papers I have tabled relate to the 2000-01 financial year and relate mostly to changes flowing from changes in the Administrative Arrangements pursuant to my becoming Chief Minister. I commend the papers to the Assembly. I move:

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