❓ A parliamentary question regarding a review of prison staffing levels, potential staff cuts, and the impact of increasing prison population. The Minister responds by highlighting government investment in prison capacity and stating the review is part of an open process agreed with the prison officers' union.
AnsweredQoN 416Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PRISONS — STAFF POSITIONS REVIEW
I refer to the secret prison review currently being undertaken by the minister’s department. Mr T.R. Buswell : How do you know about it then? Mr F.M. LOGAN : Because there are lots of people in government who do not like you. I will continue my question — (1) Can the minister confirm that an express target of the review is to identify areas his government can cut prison staff? (2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN
I refer to the secret prison review currently being undertaken by the minister’s department. Mr T.R. Buswell : How do you know about it then? Mr F.M. LOGAN : Because there are lots of people in government who do not like you. I will continue my question — (1) Can the minister confirm that an express target of the review is to identify areas his government can cut prison staff? (2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Mr T.R. Buswell : How do you know about it then? Mr F.M. LOGAN : Because there are lots of people in government who do not like you. I will continue my question — (1) Can the minister confirm that an express target of the review is to identify areas his government can cut prison staff? (2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Because there are lots of people in government who do not like you. I will continue my question — (1) Can the minister confirm that an express target of the review is to identify areas his government can cut prison staff? (2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
(1) Can the minister confirm that an express target of the review is to identify areas his government can cut prison staff? (2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
(2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
(3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
(1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Mr T.R. Buswell : How do you know about it then? Mr F.M. LOGAN : Because there are lots of people in government who do not like you. I will continue my question — (1) Can the minister confirm that an express target of the review is to identify areas his government can cut prison staff? (2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Because there are lots of people in government who do not like you. I will continue my question — (1) Can the minister confirm that an express target of the review is to identify areas his government can cut prison staff? (2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
(1) Can the minister confirm that an express target of the review is to identify areas his government can cut prison staff? (2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
(2) What were the staff positions the first round of consultants identified as potential cuts? (3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
(3) Why is the minister’s department planning to reduce staff when the prison muster has already increased by 20 per cent under his government, and is projected to increase to over 5 000 people for the first time in history within the next year? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: (1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
(1)–(3) I will start a little back to front to say that the Liberal–National government has put a lot of effort into ensuring that we have the capacity in our prisons to be able to deal with the growth in the prison population, and into ensuring that in the out years we track with that growth. I think we stand on a very solid record of $655 million of capital works—plus the recent announcements of extra facilities in Hakea and Casuarina, and including Albany Regional Prison that was recently opened by Hon Barry House—in terms of the effort we are making to ensure that prisons have that capacity to track the population. What the member is referring to is a review of staffing. It is interesting that the member asked the question, because it was actually, as I understand it—I will clarify it myself to make sure that I have this right, and if I have it wrong I will certainly change it—part of the agreed terms of the enterprise bargaining agreement with the union. Mr C.C. Porter : That was the secret enterprise bargaining agreement. Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Yes. Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
Those agreed terms were put in place as they were part of that process; there is nothing secret about it, as I understand. The Department of Corrective Services is working through that. Savings will be identified as part of that process, but, again, it is part of an open and transparent process with the Western Australian Prison Officers Union. So there is no surprise about it, it is public, and this government is committed to doing it under the terms that were agreed on.
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