Page 1692 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 1 May 2012
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that invitations had been offered to potential members of this panel. Minister, have the five individuals and two agencies identified as having relevant qualifications and experience who have been approached by the Director-General of CSD to form the advisory panel responded to this invitation? If so, what was their response?
MS BURCH: I thank Ms Hunter for her interest in youth justice. The directorate did go out to a number of well-known individuals and seek their interest in coming onto the panel. The panel has been confirmed at five. I signed off a letter—I think it was yesterday afternoon—because also part of that resolution through the Assembly was to go through the relevant standing committee. That letter has been sent through. As soon as I get some advice back from that, we will be able to formally notify that group. That aside, we have got an indicative meeting date for the latter part of this month as well. So it seems to be all systems go.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Hunter, a supplementary.
MS HUNTER: Minister, what is the current status of the blueprint?
MS BURCH: I thank Ms Hunter for her question. The blueprint has been out through a series of public forums for community input into that. That has been hosted by the community directorate but certainly part of the steering group, the oversight group, that is having carriage of, one, responding to the commissioner’s report, the first development of that, and, two, hosting and being part of those community consultations. As I understand it, the Youth Coalition also had a community consultation. We will now get the feedback and work on that. As I have indicated, we are looking to meet with the advisory panel, I think in the last week of this month, to seek their advice, which is clearly the intention of having the advisory panel, and for them to come in and make comment on that draft.
MS BRESNAN: Supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SMYTH: Yes, Ms Bresnan.
MS BRESNAN: Minister, if the blueprint is already well progressed, has sufficient time been allocated for the advisory panel to advise the government on the development of it in any real and genuine sense?
MS BURCH: I do believe so and it is somewhat disappointing to think that there is no genuine interest to have input from the advisory group into the blueprint. We made it very clear when the government responded to the Human Rights Commission report into Bimberi that we would start on this process. The Assembly passed a resolution that formalised the advisory panel. We have moved on that. All of this has been in absolute good faith. We believe it is important that we progress that work and continue the communication with the community about what this blueprint is.
This is not just for the directorate to consider. This is the whole of society’s chance to make comment on what we should be doing with youth justice, not only this year but in the years to come. There certainly is a very true and genuine place for the advisory panel in that.
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