Page 2634 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 7 August 2013
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and I am very pleased the government is providing that support; the Melba Tennis Club for the upgrade of facilities at the complex and improved security to prevent opportunistic crime; and, finally, to the Beryl women’s’ refuge for the installation of CCTV cameras at three refuge premises.
These are all excellent initiatives that help prevent crime, that help the victims of crime and help to take measures to ensure that crime is not repeated into the future. A great use of confiscated funds from ill-gotten gain.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Gentleman.
MR GENTLEMAN: Minister, can you explain to the Assembly what is the purpose of these grants?
MR CORBELL: Thank you, Mr Gentleman. Obviously it is all about fundamentally encouraging law-abiding behaviour in our community, giving effect to the principle that people should not be enriched by crime and that ill-gotten assets should be redirected to practical and positive purposes that help prevent crime into the future. Obviously some of the key principles of the act are also to deprive people of property used to commit their crimes, to deprive people of any material advantage gained from the crime and also to enable the effective tracing and seizure of criminal assets.
The grants scheme is unique because it draws on moneys collected as a result of criminal behaviour. Those moneys are growing in volume and I am very pleased that the government is able to make distributions from the trust fund to help worthy causes in our community.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Attorney-General, does this represent the full amount of the funds that have been confiscated, and who is making the decision about which groups are awarded the funds?
MR CORBELL: It does not represent the full amount of the fund. The fund is now well over a million dollars in value, and I am making disbursements effectively based on the interest earned in the account. We now have a very strong core of funds in the account, and interest earned on the account is now able to be disbursed because of the size of the fund.
That is not exclusively the case. There are other instances where disbursements are made as a result of requirements for seizure orders as a result of ill-gotten gain, and I would be happy to talk about that further.
In relation to the allocation of grants, my directorate undertakes a merit-based assessment of applications. Submissions are sought and public advertisement is made, seeking submission from groups interested in accessing grants when the grants round is advertised. The submissions are assessed on merit, by my directorate, and recommendations are made to me. I am the final decision maker, but I am pleased to say that in relation to this round and, indeed, the previous round, I have accepted in full the recommendations of my directorate.
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