Page 5251 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 29 November 2017
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MR RAMSAY: Actually, what I said publicly was that I expect the results of the consultation, which I have directed to commence, by the middle of next year. I received the advice from the Victims of Crime Commissioner in late November and I have already asked the director to commence consultations.
Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders—police apprehensions
MR MILLIGAN: My question is to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Minister, the Canberra Times recently revealed that the number of Indigenous apprehensions by police were increasing, whilst the numbers of non-Indigenous apprehensions over a similar period were falling. Questions have been raised about unconscious bias or systemic racism. Minister, what is the directorate doing to address these issues?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Mr Milligan for his question. It is of course the case that Indigenous people are over-represented in our criminal justice system. It is something that the whole of government is looking at, not just ACT Policing but across all of our government agencies that deal with our Indigenous population.
ACT Policing have internal workings that ensure that they deal with Indigenous people appropriately. They have a specific regime to look at Indigenous offenders, and at whether or not they can use diversionary opportunities with those offenders. We have policies right across our justice and community safety portfolio to look at assisting Indigenous people who could go into the criminal justice system.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, how many staff in ACT Policing have attended cultural awareness training specific to dealing with Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders?
MR GENTLEMAN: I do not have the actual numbers in front of me but I am happy to take that on notice and come back with the numbers of staff that have attended that training. We try to get as many as we can through the training.
MRS JONES: Minister, is such training compulsory for all ACT Policing and what is contained in the training?
MR GENTLEMAN: I do not have the details of the training in front of me, but I am happy to come back to the chamber with those details. It is important to note that it is ACT Policing’s policy for their officers to take part in that training.
Multicultural affairs—multicultural advisory council
MR PETTERSSON: My question is to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Minister, how is the government progressing on its commitment to establish a multicultural advisory council?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Pettersson for his question. The ACT Multicultural Advisory Council has been established to provide a platform for Canberra’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities to raise issues with the
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