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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (7 August) . . Page.. 2461 ..

MR SMYTH: I am not attempting to hide anything. My memory is that last year, for instance, when we got all the reports, did the auditing and put the information together, that information was not tabled in this place until October. It is my intention to table it as quickly as I can, and it will be tabled before the end of this sitting.

Quamby Youth Detention Centre

MRS BURKE: My question is to the minister responsible for corrections, Mr Moore. Mr Hargreaves has revealed his lack of faith in the ACT corrections service by calling for the Quamby Youth Detention Centre to be removed from their responsibility. Can the minister tell this Assembly why the Youth Detention Centre was placed within the corrections service? Is there anything to be gained from the cost of shifting it from one department to another? Would there be any reason to criticise the care and education provided to youth detainees?

MR MOORE: Thanks for that question, Mrs Burke. Of course, it was Labor that originally moved the Youth Detention Centre across to Education and Youth Services. It was the coroner who in 1996 said, "This is the wrong way to go. It needs to be moved back into corrections." This was before I became minister. The government said, "We need to respond in a positive way." I recently appeared before the Justice and Community Safety Committee and they questioned me on how the department and minister had responded to the coroner's inquiry.

Ms Tucker: I take a point of order. This is an issue being looked at in the committee I chair. We have not reported on it at this point. I draw you attention to standing order 117.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Ms Tucker. Standing order 117 (e) (ii) says that questions shall not refer to "proceedings in committee not reported to the Assembly".

MR MOORE: I shall take care.

Mr Hargreaves: But the question did, Mr Speaker.

MR MOORE: No, we are now dealing with the answer. I think I perhaps strayed, although the standing order is about the question. I will be careful.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, the issue is not the answer; it is the question. The question ought to be ruled out of order.

MR MOORE: The question from Mrs Burke was simply about an announcement of the Labor Party, not about matters that were before a committee. The question was not to do with proceedings in a committee.

Mr Corbell: On the point of order: as Mr Moore says, it is a question about Labor Party policy. He is not responsible for Labor Party policy, and he cannot answer the question.

MR SPEAKER: No, indeed. I have to uphold that point of order.

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