❓ Mr. Punch asks about job opportunities in regional WA through the prisoner officer recruitment program, highlighting the government's financial management. The Minister responds by detailing recruitment numbers and regional prison investments.
AnsweredQoN 429Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORRECTIVE SERVICES —
RECRUITMENT
429. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's strong financial management, which has meant more money to
support the work of our corrective services officers. Can the minister update
the house on how this government is providing more job opportunities for those
in the regions through its prisoner officer recruitment program?
RECRUITMENT
429. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's strong financial management, which has meant more money to
support the work of our corrective services officers. Can the minister update
the house on how this government is providing more job opportunities for those
in the regions through its prisoner officer recruitment program?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you very much, indeed, member
for Bunbury. The member, more than anybody, will know about the great work we
are doing to create local jobs in Bunbury. In his earlier statement, the member
for Roe was critical of the government's creation of jobs in the
regions. We stand in this house every week to explain the number of jobs we are
creating in regional Western Australia. At the moment, in corrections, 103 new
recruits are either undergoing training already or about to undergo training in
regional Western Australia.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, you have the opportunity to ask a question.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : In order to
fix up the mess that we inherited in the whole corrections portfolio, we are
not only rebuilding the infrastructure of our prison estate around Western Australia,
but also staffing it. I have stood in this house before and talked about the
pipeline of training new prison officer recruits. That pipeline of training
will continue through 2019, 2020 and beyond. That pipeline of training,
particularly in regional Western Australia, goes to the following prisons:
Albany Regional Prison, Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison, Greenough Regional
Prison and West Kimberley Regional Prison. In my role as Minister for
Corrective Services, I have been to those prisons and seen the recruitment
programs happening on the ground in the regions. Some people are recruited from
Perth, but most are recruited locally. Those local recruitment programs have
not happened for years. I have been to the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison,
member for Warren–Blackwood, and spoken to the 19 new recruits. I have
been to Greenough Regional Prison and spoken to the 24 new recruits. I would
have liked to have spoken to the 24 new recruits at Albany Regional Prison, but
I believe, Mr Speaker, that you will be doing that yourself.
The SPEAKER : I have already
done it.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Thank you very
much, indeed.
However, I was at West Kimberley
Regional Prison recently and spoke to the 16 new local recruits from Derby, 10
of whom are women. It is not just about prison officers. This government is
investing in regional community corrections, and another 50 community
corrections staff have been announced as part of the budget. I recently visited
Broome and opened its new community corrections centre that will get an extra
two staff for community corrections in Broome. Certainly, it needs it. As we
have discussed before about regional recruitment, every corrections role
offered is an additional job opportunity and a boost to the local economy.
Being a prison officer is a rewarding career and a long-term career for many.
Even the member for Dawesville knows this. He is in a marginal seat, and he
knows that when he loses, there is an opportunity for him to don the uniform—we
spoke before about how he likes uniforms. He wants to don the uniform and the
member for Dawesville too can have a long-term rewarding career in prison.
for Bunbury. The member, more than anybody, will know about the great work we
are doing to create local jobs in Bunbury. In his earlier statement, the member
for Roe was critical of the government's creation of jobs in the
regions. We stand in this house every week to explain the number of jobs we are
creating in regional Western Australia. At the moment, in corrections, 103 new
recruits are either undergoing training already or about to undergo training in
regional Western Australia.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, you have the opportunity to ask a question.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : In order to
fix up the mess that we inherited in the whole corrections portfolio, we are
not only rebuilding the infrastructure of our prison estate around Western Australia,
but also staffing it. I have stood in this house before and talked about the
pipeline of training new prison officer recruits. That pipeline of training
will continue through 2019, 2020 and beyond. That pipeline of training,
particularly in regional Western Australia, goes to the following prisons:
Albany Regional Prison, Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison, Greenough Regional
Prison and West Kimberley Regional Prison. In my role as Minister for
Corrective Services, I have been to those prisons and seen the recruitment
programs happening on the ground in the regions. Some people are recruited from
Perth, but most are recruited locally. Those local recruitment programs have
not happened for years. I have been to the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison,
member for Warren–Blackwood, and spoken to the 19 new recruits. I have
been to Greenough Regional Prison and spoken to the 24 new recruits. I would
have liked to have spoken to the 24 new recruits at Albany Regional Prison, but
I believe, Mr Speaker, that you will be doing that yourself.
The SPEAKER : I have already
done it.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Thank you very
much, indeed.
However, I was at West Kimberley
Regional Prison recently and spoke to the 16 new local recruits from Derby, 10
of whom are women. It is not just about prison officers. This government is
investing in regional community corrections, and another 50 community
corrections staff have been announced as part of the budget. I recently visited
Broome and opened its new community corrections centre that will get an extra
two staff for community corrections in Broome. Certainly, it needs it. As we
have discussed before about regional recruitment, every corrections role
offered is an additional job opportunity and a boost to the local economy.
Being a prison officer is a rewarding career and a long-term career for many.
Even the member for Dawesville knows this. He is in a marginal seat, and he
knows that when he loses, there is an opportunity for him to don the uniform—we
spoke before about how he likes uniforms. He wants to don the uniform and the
member for Dawesville too can have a long-term rewarding career in prison.
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