Page 5473 - Week 14 - Thursday, 30 November 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
government. I guess the point we are making is that without any feedback from the Assembly as a whole, it is just not as easily perceived as being independent.
That is why I will seek to move the amendments circulated in my name. If adopted, they would raise the position above concerns of conflict of interest. Our amendments would require the executive to consult with the relevant committee, with that committee being given the opportunity to make a comment on the nominee and for the executive to appoint the inspector with a resolution passed in the Assembly by at least a two-thirds majority of members.
The amendment would create greater transparency and ensure that the Assembly and community can have full confidence in the inspectorate of custodial services. Hopefully, we will see a new era of safer places of custody and imprisonment in the ACT.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Community Services and Social Inclusion, Minister for Disability, Children and Youth, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations) (5.55): I am pleased to speak on the Inspector of Correctional Services Bill 2017 today. The bill is particularly important for my portfolio responsibilities for children and youth. It builds on work I have undertaken over the past 12 months and the work of my predecessors to ensure that our youth justice system and facilities support the rehabilitation of our most vulnerable young people.
I am passionate about the ACT having a human rights-focused youth justice system and I am proud that the ACT was the first jurisdiction in Australia to deliver on this. The inclusion of Bimberi Youth Justice Centre within the remit of the inspector of correctional services will further strengthen the ACT’s commitment to transparent and accountable services.
This independent inspector will promote the continuous improvement of the ACT’s youth justice system and work closely with and alongside our existing oversight mechanisms and agencies. These existing mechanisms include: external oversight of Bimberi by two official visitors, one of whom is a designated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander official visitor; external oversight of Bimberi and the broader youth justice system by the ACT Human Rights Commission and Public Advocate; and the charter of rights for young people in Bimberi Youth Justice Centre.
In addition we are committed to continuing ongoing reform of the ACT’s youth justice system under the blueprint for youth justice in the ACT. This 10-year strategy provides a framework for significant youth justice reform and includes a focus on the rights and voice of the young person throughout the youth justice system.
The new youth justice task force, which is co-chaired by the ACT Children and Young People Commissioner, Ms Jodie Griffiths-Cook and the executive director of children, youth and families within the Community Services Directorate, Dr Mark Collis, is progressing work to take stock of how far we have come in improving our youth justice system and to establish the direction we need to take in the second five years of the strategy.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video