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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 06 Hansard (Tuesday, 22 June 2004) . . Page.. 2264 ..

These issues are just as important because they, more than anything, will keep families together—if we can help prevent crime being committed in the first place.

The report is a very worthy one. As I said, it brings forth the discussion that needs to be had—a discussion that has been too silent in past years about what happens to families when somebody commits a crime. While we talk a lot about families and children in this report, the support they can access and how they need to access that support, I also urge the government to consider those situations where the crime has meant that the family no longer wishes to see that person. We still have a family in crisis. We still have a family who may be without their main money earner. They may not be able or willing to access services that are annexed to the prison, or services provided specifically for families working to support prisoners.

There needs to be understanding and support available for all the different options. Each family situation is going to be different and we need a very broad and flexible approach to ensure that those who need support are able to access that support—and that that support is there in a very accessible and cohesive way.

I look forward to the next part of this report which will have greater focus on Quamby. There is some discussion in this report about Quamby, and there is work to be done on all of those issues. I commend this report to the Assembly and to the government. I impress upon the government, yet again, that there are some things in this report that can happen now; that we do not have to wait for the designing and building of a prison in the ACT. We need to be looking after the families of prisoners in the territory today.

MRS CROSS (10.52): I echo the sentiments of my committee colleagues, Mr Hargreaves and Ms Dundas. One of the things I have noticed, after being in this role for the past two and a half years, is that my opinions on restorative justice have changed. The more I have heard of what goes on in the system and the adverse effects on the families of those who have been incarcerated, the greater understanding it has brought to me—and that is the basis of the content of this report.

I think it is important that, when we give people responsibility, there is accountability to the community. I think it is also important that we educate the community on the stigma that is enforced on the children, wives and husbands of those who are incarcerated and the difficulties they experience when their loved ones are incarcerated.

I think most of the other areas of this report have been covered. We have an extensive program on the agenda today. I would like to thank the secretary of our committee, Jane Carmody, for the excellent work she has done in putting this report together. It is not easy for Jane to have to deal with four very strong personalities with four very distinct opinions. I think she does that in a very eloquent and diplomatic fashion. I commend the report to the Assembly and I seriously hope the government takes on the committee’s recommendations.

MR CORNWELL (10.54): As the fourth member of the committee, I would like to remind Assembly members that this is not only a comprehensive report, it is also a unanimous one. I believe it puts forward, in 42 recommendations, some very practical approaches to this difficulty about the families of offenders. I also think it is a very fair report. We are not suggesting that people who are in prison should not be there but we

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