A parliamentary question regarding the accuracy of a statement about Mr. Keith Larner's role in the Uniting Church and its relevance to a prisoner's day release. The Minister clarifies Mr. Larner's position and explains the church's outreach services.

AnsweredQoN 982Legislative Council
Asked
19 December 2001
Portfolio
Justice and Legal Affairs

QuestionView source ↗

LARNER, MR KEITH
I refer to the statement by the minister in question time in the Assembly on 17 October 2001 that a prisoner was on day release to a Uniting Church minister, Mr Keith Larner. (1) Is the minister sure that Mr Larner is a Uniting Church minister? (2) Was the fact that Mr Larner was a Uniting Church minister a relevant consideration in making his decision on the release? (3) If not, why did he mention the matter in answer to the question? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Mr Larner is a lay preacher and leader of a church congregation, in addition to being coordinator of the Uniting Church’s outreach services. Outreach services provide a valuable service to long-term serious offenders who have little, or often no, support in the community. (2) In making a decision to grant approval for the prisoner to proceed to stage 2 of the pre-release program, the Attorney General was advised that Mr Larner and another person of the Uniting Church in Australia’s outreach services would sponsor home leaves. (3) Not applicable.
(1) Is the minister sure that Mr Larner is a Uniting Church minister? (2) Was the fact that Mr Larner was a Uniting Church minister a relevant consideration in making his decision on the release? (3) If not, why did he mention the matter in answer to the question? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Mr Larner is a lay preacher and leader of a church congregation, in addition to being coordinator of the Uniting Church’s outreach services. Outreach services provide a valuable service to long-term serious offenders who have little, or often no, support in the community. (2) In making a decision to grant approval for the prisoner to proceed to stage 2 of the pre-release program, the Attorney General was advised that Mr Larner and another person of the Uniting Church in Australia’s outreach services would sponsor home leaves. (3) Not applicable.
(2) Was the fact that Mr Larner was a Uniting Church minister a relevant consideration in making his decision on the release? (3) If not, why did he mention the matter in answer to the question? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Mr Larner is a lay preacher and leader of a church congregation, in addition to being coordinator of the Uniting Church’s outreach services. Outreach services provide a valuable service to long-term serious offenders who have little, or often no, support in the community. (2) In making a decision to grant approval for the prisoner to proceed to stage 2 of the pre-release program, the Attorney General was advised that Mr Larner and another person of the Uniting Church in Australia’s outreach services would sponsor home leaves. (3) Not applicable.
(3) If not, why did he mention the matter in answer to the question? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Mr Larner is a lay preacher and leader of a church congregation, in addition to being coordinator of the Uniting Church’s outreach services. Outreach services provide a valuable service to long-term serious offenders who have little, or often no, support in the community. (2) In making a decision to grant approval for the prisoner to proceed to stage 2 of the pre-release program, the Attorney General was advised that Mr Larner and another person of the Uniting Church in Australia’s outreach services would sponsor home leaves. (3) Not applicable.
Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Mr Larner is a lay preacher and leader of a church congregation, in addition to being coordinator of the Uniting Church’s outreach services. Outreach services provide a valuable service to long-term serious offenders who have little, or often no, support in the community. (2) In making a decision to grant approval for the prisoner to proceed to stage 2 of the pre-release program, the Attorney General was advised that Mr Larner and another person of the Uniting Church in Australia’s outreach services would sponsor home leaves. (3) Not applicable.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) Mr Larner is a lay preacher and leader of a church congregation, in addition to being coordinator of the Uniting Church’s outreach services. Outreach services provide a valuable service to long-term serious offenders who have little, or often no, support in the community. (2) In making a decision to grant approval for the prisoner to proceed to stage 2 of the pre-release program, the Attorney General was advised that Mr Larner and another person of the Uniting Church in Australia’s outreach services would sponsor home leaves. (3) Not applicable.
(1) Mr Larner is a lay preacher and leader of a church congregation, in addition to being coordinator of the Uniting Church’s outreach services. Outreach services provide a valuable service to long-term serious offenders who have little, or often no, support in the community. (2) In making a decision to grant approval for the prisoner to proceed to stage 2 of the pre-release program, the Attorney General was advised that Mr Larner and another person of the Uniting Church in Australia’s outreach services would sponsor home leaves. (3) Not applicable.
(2) In making a decision to grant approval for the prisoner to proceed to stage 2 of the pre-release program, the Attorney General was advised that Mr Larner and another person of the Uniting Church in Australia’s outreach services would sponsor home leaves. (3) Not applicable.
(3) Not applicable.

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