❓ Mr. Kirkup questions the Premier's accountability regarding the implementation of recommendations following a critical incident review at Greenough Regional Prison and the overall state of the WA prison system. The Premier deflects, highlighting the government's investment in new beds and staff, and blames the previous government for legacy issues.
AnsweredQoN 1030Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GREENOUGH REGIONAL
PRISON — CRITICAL INCIDENT REVIEW
1030. Mr
Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given the Premier's failure to sack the minister as per the motion
yesterday, will he take personal responsibility if these recommendations are
not implemented and the prison system in Western Australia continues to
deteriorate?
PRISON — CRITICAL INCIDENT REVIEW
1030. Mr
Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given the Premier's failure to sack the minister as per the motion
yesterday, will he take personal responsibility if these recommendations are
not implemented and the prison system in Western Australia continues to
deteriorate?
AnswerView source ↗
As I have outlined to the house, I want
to outline this to the house once again. This government is putting 900 new
beds into the prison system at a total cost of $120 million. The former
government's plan was to build a new prison for more than a billion
dollars, even though it had not funded it.
Dr M.D. Nahan : No.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The then
Premier announced it before the election—a billion dollar-plus new
prison. We have managed to find, innovatively, 900 new beds at a cost of $120 million.
We are employing an additional 280 prison officers because we understand that
the overuse of overtime puts too much pressure on the staff and is too
expensive for the system and we would rather create more full-time jobs. Both
those things are enormous innovations that the former government was incapable
of when it was in office. The legacy issues at Greenough are the other things
we are overcoming. As I said, the former government put a women's
prison right next to the men's prison. I saw the path of destruction of
the men going to the women's prison. Why did the former Premier do
that?
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The riot
happened in July, so does the member think somehow that within 15 minutes of
coming to office we can fix all those things that were left to us?
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I realise I have
very talented ministers and people of huge capacity, but dealing with the
legacy issues in the prison system, as it does in many areas, takes time.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
to outline this to the house once again. This government is putting 900 new
beds into the prison system at a total cost of $120 million. The former
government's plan was to build a new prison for more than a billion
dollars, even though it had not funded it.
Dr M.D. Nahan : No.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The then
Premier announced it before the election—a billion dollar-plus new
prison. We have managed to find, innovatively, 900 new beds at a cost of $120 million.
We are employing an additional 280 prison officers because we understand that
the overuse of overtime puts too much pressure on the staff and is too
expensive for the system and we would rather create more full-time jobs. Both
those things are enormous innovations that the former government was incapable
of when it was in office. The legacy issues at Greenough are the other things
we are overcoming. As I said, the former government put a women's
prison right next to the men's prison. I saw the path of destruction of
the men going to the women's prison. Why did the former Premier do
that?
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The riot
happened in July, so does the member think somehow that within 15 minutes of
coming to office we can fix all those things that were left to us?
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Dawesville, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I realise I have
very talented ministers and people of huge capacity, but dealing with the
legacy issues in the prison system, as it does in many areas, takes time.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
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