❓ Mr. Redman questions why a contractor was stood down for scanning packages at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison, while the responsible prison officers were not. The Minister responds, detailing disciplinary actions and highlighting the contractor's private employment status.
AnsweredQoN 633Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
EASTERN GOLDFIELDS
REGIONAL PRISON — GATE SECURITY
633. Mr
D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to an incident I witnessed
at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison on 5 March this year, in which a prison
contractor scanned his own packages into the prison. Why was the contractor who
scanned his own packages into the prison stood down, pending a review, while
the prison officers responsible for gatehouse security were not?
REGIONAL PRISON — GATE SECURITY
633. Mr
D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to an incident I witnessed
at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison on 5 March this year, in which a prison
contractor scanned his own packages into the prison. Why was the contractor who
scanned his own packages into the prison stood down, pending a review, while
the prison officers responsible for gatehouse security were not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for this
question. I do not know how many times I have answered these questions for him,
through both questions on notice and in the public sphere, because the member
has been on ABC radio Kalgoorlie about this.
As the member knows, because he was involved when he was Minister for
Corrective Services, that prison is a build–own–maintain
project, run by Honeywell. The person the member is talking about was a Honeywell
contractor. I have seen the footage—the vision that was taken—with
the member standing there, watching him go through the gate and into the
control room behind the scanner. I have offered the member an opportunity to
come and see it, which he —
Mr D.T. Redman : I was there.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : He has FOI-ed
the footage, which he will not get because of security reasons. Instead, I have
offered him, in writing and verbally, an opportunity to come and look at the
footage himself, which he has refused to do, because all he wants to do is to
make an issue of this; that is all he wants to do. He has nothing else. This is
the fifth time he has raised this.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : After the
member for Warren–Blackwood brought this to my attention, I raised it
with the Commissioner of Corrective Services and he raised it with the
superintendent. The outcome is threefold, which is exactly what I said on ABC
radio the other day. Firstly, the superintendent has been counselled and told
that what he did and the advice he gave to the member personally, when the
member raised the matter with him, was wrong. The two prison officers who were
at the gate have also been counselled and have gone through retraining to
ensure that they comply with practices, policies and procedures.
Point of Order
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Mr Speaker, I
very clearly asked the minister why the prison contractor was stood down,
pending a review, but the —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Excuse me! It is
a point of order; I will hear it in silence.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : — prison
officers were not. At the point before an inquiry or a review happened, why was
one stood down but the others were not while a review occurred?
The SPEAKER : Okay; it is not
a debate. Minister, if you could answer that in your response.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I am trying to
go through it, Mr Speaker.
I
will repeat the three outcomes again. Firstly, the superintendent has been
disciplined. Secondly, both prison officers have been disciplined as
well—they should have been, because they were not complying with
procedures. Thirdly, the contractor—who was not an employee of the
Department of Justice; he was an employee of Honeywell—has been
terminated, and I hope the member is happy about that now. A local Kalgoorlie
guy, a plumber, has lost his job because of what the member has done. I hope he
is happy about that. In terms of —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : In terms of
the investigation —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : He has lost
his job because of you!
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, I call you to order the second time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Is the member
happy about that now? In regard to why the two prison officers were not stood down and he was, he was an employee of Honeywell.
He was an employee of a private contractor. The commissioner dealt with
the prison officers in accordance with rules and procedures.
question. I do not know how many times I have answered these questions for him,
through both questions on notice and in the public sphere, because the member
has been on ABC radio Kalgoorlie about this.
As the member knows, because he was involved when he was Minister for
Corrective Services, that prison is a build–own–maintain
project, run by Honeywell. The person the member is talking about was a Honeywell
contractor. I have seen the footage—the vision that was taken—with
the member standing there, watching him go through the gate and into the
control room behind the scanner. I have offered the member an opportunity to
come and see it, which he —
Mr D.T. Redman : I was there.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : He has FOI-ed
the footage, which he will not get because of security reasons. Instead, I have
offered him, in writing and verbally, an opportunity to come and look at the
footage himself, which he has refused to do, because all he wants to do is to
make an issue of this; that is all he wants to do. He has nothing else. This is
the fifth time he has raised this.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : After the
member for Warren–Blackwood brought this to my attention, I raised it
with the Commissioner of Corrective Services and he raised it with the
superintendent. The outcome is threefold, which is exactly what I said on ABC
radio the other day. Firstly, the superintendent has been counselled and told
that what he did and the advice he gave to the member personally, when the
member raised the matter with him, was wrong. The two prison officers who were
at the gate have also been counselled and have gone through retraining to
ensure that they comply with practices, policies and procedures.
Point of Order
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Mr Speaker, I
very clearly asked the minister why the prison contractor was stood down,
pending a review, but the —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Excuse me! It is
a point of order; I will hear it in silence.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : — prison
officers were not. At the point before an inquiry or a review happened, why was
one stood down but the others were not while a review occurred?
The SPEAKER : Okay; it is not
a debate. Minister, if you could answer that in your response.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I am trying to
go through it, Mr Speaker.
I
will repeat the three outcomes again. Firstly, the superintendent has been
disciplined. Secondly, both prison officers have been disciplined as
well—they should have been, because they were not complying with
procedures. Thirdly, the contractor—who was not an employee of the
Department of Justice; he was an employee of Honeywell—has been
terminated, and I hope the member is happy about that now. A local Kalgoorlie
guy, a plumber, has lost his job because of what the member has done. I hope he
is happy about that. In terms of —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : In terms of
the investigation —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : He has lost
his job because of you!
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, I call you to order the second time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Is the member
happy about that now? In regard to why the two prison officers were not stood down and he was, he was an employee of Honeywell.
He was an employee of a private contractor. The commissioner dealt with
the prison officers in accordance with rules and procedures.
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