Page 4140 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 22 October 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
I am sure that the government will talk about the youth justice blueprint, how the rate of youth offending is reducing, that the number of young people being apprehended by police is reducing, and that the number of young people under youth justice supervision and in detention is reducing, saying that something must be being done right. This is very positive, but the numbers are still too high. They could be further reduced.
One of the issues is getting on with raising the age of criminal responsibility. I am aware that this issue has been raised with the attorney and there are many in the community who are waiting for action in this regard. I am hearing loud and clear that the age should be 14, not 12. The attorney is not listening, but hopefully someone will tell him what we said.
Ms Stephen-Smith: He is probably watching on the television.
MS LE COUTEUR: I hope he is watching upstairs. Yes, I agree. The ACT government should be leading the way, considering a lot of the other positive work that we are doing to address intergenerational disadvantage. The evidence around free universal early childhood education, for example, is overwhelmingly that it can reduce poverty, increase pro social behaviours, and support vulnerable families. Why can’t we look at similar evidence which says that early exposure to custodial sentences is—I was going to say akin to trauma; and it is a type of trauma. Does anyone in this place really think that an 11 or 12-year-old child should be deprived of their liberty in a youth detention centre as a punishment? As a mother, the idea of my daughter or my grandchildren being locked up at the age of 12 or 13 horrifies me. I am sure it would give any parent pause.
For the ACT to have a truly rehabilitative youth justice system, we need to consider and support the child before they commit any offence that may bring them before the courts. Consider the young person, who they are, what they need and how they are as part of their family and part of their community. What do they need before they may start on a journey which will lead to them becoming part of the criminal justice system? The ACT Greens believe that we also need to think of the impact that this journey could have on them as the adults they will become and the longer term costs to our entire society.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Health and Minister for Urban Renewal) (3.21): Absolutely, ensuring that the youth justice system is rehabilitative is a matter of the utmost public importance. It is also important to tell the truth in these debates. It concerns me greatly that Mrs Kikkert continues to exaggerate, to misrepresent and to say things that, frankly, are simply not true. The ACT does not use isolation at Bimberi. Isolation has a very specific meaning. The fact that the media misrepresent this in a story in a way that I would understand lay people doing is not an excuse for the shadow minister to misrepresent this matter. It is actually quite serious.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video