Page 4698 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 27 November 2019
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I sought and was given a briefing on Monday about the matter and I have asked the department some questions to come back to me on regarding the treatment of this person with regard to his freedom to pursue the writing of what I have been assured is a work of fiction and whether he was discouraged from this undertaking.
That people convicted under federal law are in our prison is normal because we do not have federally run prisons in Australia. But that the minister did not know and was not briefed on his existence is not good enough. Following my briefing I am waiting on further information on precisely what advice was given to this inmate by the general manager of the AMC about his pursuing this hobby, this pastime or academic pursuit in writing a book.
Given the many issues in the AMC—the dangerous levels of boredom, the complete lack of routine and a proper rewards and incentive program, and the existence of regular lock-ins—I hope he was not discouraged from pursuing something to do while stuck in his cell for hours every day. I will update the chamber when I find out more.
Hong Kong district council elections
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (6.19): Very late the Sunday before last I received the following message from a prominent human rights advocate in London:
Is there any chance that you might be willing to join a delegation of Parliamentarians and other dignitaries to go to Hong Kong to monitor the district council elections …
As a self-confessed electoral nerd, the veteran of six personal election campaigns and two electoral reform campaigns, and trusting completely my inviter, it took less than five minutes’ discussion with my husband before I said yes. Fast forward six days and I joined 18 others from Canada, the UK, Malaysia, the US, Slovakia, Lithuania, Japan, Sweden and Denmark at the beginning of the independent electoral observation mission organised by Fight for Freedom—Stand with Hong Kong and Hong Kong Story.
Before we set out for the polling places there was a whirlwind of information-gathering from academics, doctors, journalists, businessmen and students; Hongkongers who are passionate about their city and their democratic future.
At previous district council elections—elections for purely advisory bodies at a municipal level—not all seats were contested and the turnout was around 40 per cent. On Sunday every electorate was contested and the turnout was nearly three million people, or 71 per cent. The polls opened at 7 am and the day was marked by huge queues everywhere. After the polls closed at 10.30, people turned out in their thousands to observe the counting from public galleries in polling places across the city. There was a high police presence, but no clashes between police and citizens. As the South China Morning Post put it, the protesters took the day off to cast their votes.
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