Page 4069 - Week 13 - Thursday, 6 December 2007
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Mr Barr: He can’t debate the bill.
MR SPEAKER: He just can’t debate the bill.
MR CORBELL: I note the Liberal Party’s sensitivity when it comes to the Labor Party talking about issues around crime and justice for victims and improving safety and security for the Canberra community. I don’t think they are used to the Labor Party asserting itself on these matters.
I am delighted to advise the Assembly that the government is taking significant steps to continue to improve support for victims of crime in our community. As recently as last week, I was pleased to launch Victim Support ACT, a new agency within the Department of Justice and Community Safety, which is creating a one-stop shop for victims of crime in the ACT.
Members would be aware that previously services for victims of crime have been delivered through a range of agencies, particularly through the victims support service, as well as through the role of the Victims of Crime Coordinator and her staff. The government announced earlier this year that we would be integrating those services into a single agency, and the launch of Victim Support ACT last week was the end result of that work.
This new agency brings together the counselling and recovery team from the victims services scheme, as well as staff from the Victims of Crime Coordinator’s office, to support victims in the justice system and ensure they receive a more cohesive response. This is a response to the review that the government commissioned late last year. The new agency will make it easier for victims of crime to get services and support from a range of government agencies. The government considers services for victims of crime to be one of the most significant priorities we have in the Justice portfolio.
Establishment of this new agency has been funded in part through new initiatives put in place in the most recent budget, which provided an additional half a million dollars to support services for victims of crime, and in particular to reduce waiting times for people wanting access to our victims counselling services.
I am delighted with the work that has been undertaken by the Victims of Crime Coordinator and her staff. They have shown real dedication in bringing together this new agency. In collaboration with our non-government partners, such as the Domestic Violence Crisis Service, the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre and the Victims of Crime Assistance League, we are in a strong position to provide more comprehensive and coordinated services to victims of crime in our community.
I believe the ACT is a national leader when it comes to provision of services for victims of crime. I recently attended a ceremony at the Supreme Court which involved a twinning project between our own court and the court in Manitoba in Canada, which is also providing a very effective victims support service and domestic violence policy response in their area of Canada. They are regarded jointly as some of the leading
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