Page 1072 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 May 2020
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MR RATTENBURY: The point is that there has been a range of clinical advice and clinical services provided to this individual. The role of Justice Health Services is to seek that input and, in partnership with Corrective Services, they work closely to provide a high level of care for this detainee. It is well understood that this detainee has very complex needs. I have been very pleased by the level of collaboration between Justice Health and ACT Corrective Services in trying to provide a high level of care to the detainee with considerable needs.
MRS JONES: Given that the New South Wales assistance did not involve psychiatry, will you now provide this inmate with an independent, in-person psychiatric assessment to assess whether he is better suited to be housed at the Dhulwa secure mental health unit?
MR RATTENBURY: My role as minister is not to decide where somebody should be placed. It is not my role to say to clinicians what their professional judgment should be. My job is to make sure that I am asking the questions and ensuring that there is a level of due diligence, that the right services are being provided and that the right assessments are being made. I am able to inform the chamber that I have asked the Chief Psychiatrist to do a review of this matter. The Chief Psychiatrist is an independent officer in the ACT health system. She is now working with the treating teams in light of her analysis.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, why did you refuse to act to help save the life of an Aboriginal person in custody?
MR RATTENBURY: I absolutely refute that question. I find it deeply offensive.
Mrs Jones: Well, it is offensive that he ended up in hospital.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Jones, enough!
Mrs Jones: Someone nearly died.
MR RATTENBURY: It is an absolutely offensive suggestion. There has been enormous effort put into the care of this detainee to ensure his safety as much as possible. For others to come in here and say, “My personal view is that he should have been treated in such-and-such a way,” is disrespectful to the considerable effort that has been put in place by our clinicians, who are trained and are dedicated to supporting detainees as best they can. These are complex matters, and even amongst the clinicians there will be different views. So I do not consider the line of questioning to be appropriate. Does that mean there cannot be many ways to look at that? That is fair enough; that is a fair question, and that is why I asked the Chief Psychiatrist to review this matter.
Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders—incarceration rates
MRS JONES: My question is to the Minister for Corrections and Justice Health. In 2011, Greens Senator Rachel Siewert published a media release titled “Greens send clear message on deaths in custody—enough is enough”. Senator Siewert said that
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