Page 3091 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 24 September 2014
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Introducing an NSP into a jail environment is challenging and complex, and it is an endeavour that the government must undertake with great care. We must be focused on the safety of both correctional officers and other corrections staff, the safety of health staff and the care and safety of other detainees and their families. We must design a model that takes account of all of these people in the corrections system.
The bottom line is that we want to put in place an evidence-based and, above all, health-focused response to what is a very real issue—blood-borne viruses, and in particular hepatitis C transmission in the AMC, and the need to protect others in the community.
Of course staff at the AMC are deeply engaged in this issue. It is happening in their workplace and it is happening around their day-to-day operations. I respect the fact that they have legitimate views on this issue and that they should be engaged in the discussion about how we put it in place.
That said, I remain absolutely committed to introducing an NSP because I think it is an important health policy initiative. I am equally committed to ongoing, genuine consultation with AMC staff on the proposed model and the need to work through issues so that we can find a system that is practical and that works in the prison environment. We need to find a way through on this issue to protect the health of our community. I believe on that level Corrective Services staff understand and support the genuine motivation to reduce blood-borne virus transmission.
As I said earlier, Mr Wall spoke of politically motivated ideology, and I think he delivered most of that today. The evidence is that there are NSPs operating in other jurisdictions. We have had the interesting irony this morning where Mr Coe came in here and introduced his first-ever bill in the Assembly. He has finally, after six years in this place, got it together to draft a piece of legislation. But in that speech Mr Coe made reference to the fact that, with respect to the initiative he wants to introduce, no other jurisdiction in Australia has it. That is fine. I am nonetheless prepared to assess Mr Coe’s piece of legislation on its merits.
But Mr Wall then stood here and cited Mr Hanson as his source. So we see him self-referencing within the closed circle that is the Liberal Party. We saw him self-referencing Mr Hanson, saying that no other jurisdiction in Australia has a needle and syringe program; therefore we cannot have it. The irony of those two positions within the space of an hour in this place this morning should not be lost on anybody in this place.
The bottom line is that this is proven health policy. We know that we have an issue with hepatitis C. We know that we want to protect those who are in the jail as well as the rest of the community. That is what the government is seeking to address. I want to continue to work with the men and women of Corrective Services to find a place so that we can all move forward with this initiative. I know full well that, for the NSP to work well, for it to be effective, we need the skills and expertise of on-the-ground staff to inform a model. They are professionals in their chosen career, they work in an incredibly difficult environment and they take their job very seriously. I respect their commitment to what is a difficult and challenging role.
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