❓ Question regarding the value for money of WA's work camps, particularly in Wyndham and Warburton. The Minister defends the investment, citing improved facilities and safety, while criticising the previous Labor government's approach.
AnsweredQoN 327Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PRISONER WORK
CAMPS
327. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
In recent weeks there has been some public discussion about
the state's work camps and whether they provide value for money. Can
the minister please explain to the house why the government believes that work
camps, particularly the new work camps in Wyndham and Warburton, are a sound
investment?
CAMPS
327. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
In recent weeks there has been some public discussion about
the state's work camps and whether they provide value for money. Can
the minister please explain to the house why the government believes that work
camps, particularly the new work camps in Wyndham and Warburton, are a sound
investment?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Geraldton for the question; it is
something he clearly follows very closely.
Several members interjected.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : He
does! I have regular discussions with the member for Geraldton.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second
time today. Member for Cockburn, I formally call you to order for the first
time today. A member asking a question in this place is not an opportunity for
others to have a free-for-all.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
think the house will recall a number of occasions on which I have talked about
the value of work camps and the investment that this Liberal–National
government has made in work camps in Western Australia, particularly the ones
mentioned by the member in his question. We have put some $9 million towards a
new work camp in Wyndham and $15 million towards a new work camp in Warburton.
The cost of those could quite rightly be raised in the estimates hearings, and
I think they were. The cost of trying to build these facilities in remote
locations is a challenge for the government of the day. I highlight that there
have been some substantial and very sound investments in the north to support
the replacement of a facility which was opened by the previous government in
2002 and about which there have since been some serious occupational health and
safety concerns raised, particularly by the Inspector of Custodial Services.
The $15 million for the work camp in Warburton is to reduce the levels of
transport by providing facilities of a higher security level for the support of
very short term remand circumstances. As we know, transporting prisoners has
led to some very tragic outcomes in the past.
The member for Cockburn spoke on ABC
radio about the Wyndham work camp and the value of that investment.
Mr
F.M. Logan : The number of people who were in it.
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
The number of people who were in it. Certainly when it was opened we had
reduced numbers. I directed the Department of Corrective Services to address
that, and it is now operating at almost full capacity. The Wyndham work camp
currently has 20 prisoners and I am pleased with how that is going. The member
for Cockburn had forgotten that the Labor government actually opened the
facility in 2002, but he also made the point that it is an overinvestment and
that we should be simply putting prisoners in dongas.
Mr F.M. Logan : Why
couldn't we?
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Why could we not? For two reasons: firstly, the health and safety issues that
were raised. The facilities that used to be up there were old dongas and the
kitchen and ablution facilities were old mobile caravans from Main Roads. This
is how the Labor Party does things; it does things on the cheap and then
creates all the consequences that come from that.
Mr T.G. Stephens :
It was the Liberal Party that shut down Wyndham prison!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : It
is an interesting point, which I will pick up on in a second.
Secondly, the Inspector of Custodial Services also
highlighted the substandard nature of those facilities. I might add that when
we came to government, we had substandard facilities at the work camps at
Wyndham and at Bungarun, just out of Derby. We have responded to those two
examples by making some substantial investments. It is an interesting point the
member for Pilbara raises about prisons. When the member for Cockburn was
responding on ABC radio recently with Geoff Hutchison, he talked about the fact
that our prisons are bursting at the seams. The obvious question to go back
with was: So what would you do? Would you support what the Liberal–National
government is doing by investing in prisons and investing in facilities? This
was his response —
Well hopefully, hopefully by this
time next year there will be less prisoners in prison.
The policy from the Labor Party on corrective services runs
on a wing and a prayer. They are hoping like hell that the prison population
comes down and they will not have to make the investments.
I will also highlight that it was fantastic to see the shadow
Minister for Corrective Services out the front of Parliament, prior to the sitting
here, supporting the Liberal–National government's position on
mandatory sentencing —
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : —
because that was the call from the Community and Public Sector Union out there,
and the member for Cockburn got up there, in full flight —
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Corrective Services, if you are going to refer continually to the
member for Cockburn, you should expect the behaviour that you are getting. I am
going to sit down and seek another call.
something he clearly follows very closely.
Several members interjected.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : He
does! I have regular discussions with the member for Geraldton.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second
time today. Member for Cockburn, I formally call you to order for the first
time today. A member asking a question in this place is not an opportunity for
others to have a free-for-all.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
think the house will recall a number of occasions on which I have talked about
the value of work camps and the investment that this Liberal–National
government has made in work camps in Western Australia, particularly the ones
mentioned by the member in his question. We have put some $9 million towards a
new work camp in Wyndham and $15 million towards a new work camp in Warburton.
The cost of those could quite rightly be raised in the estimates hearings, and
I think they were. The cost of trying to build these facilities in remote
locations is a challenge for the government of the day. I highlight that there
have been some substantial and very sound investments in the north to support
the replacement of a facility which was opened by the previous government in
2002 and about which there have since been some serious occupational health and
safety concerns raised, particularly by the Inspector of Custodial Services.
The $15 million for the work camp in Warburton is to reduce the levels of
transport by providing facilities of a higher security level for the support of
very short term remand circumstances. As we know, transporting prisoners has
led to some very tragic outcomes in the past.
The member for Cockburn spoke on ABC
radio about the Wyndham work camp and the value of that investment.
Mr
F.M. Logan : The number of people who were in it.
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
The number of people who were in it. Certainly when it was opened we had
reduced numbers. I directed the Department of Corrective Services to address
that, and it is now operating at almost full capacity. The Wyndham work camp
currently has 20 prisoners and I am pleased with how that is going. The member
for Cockburn had forgotten that the Labor government actually opened the
facility in 2002, but he also made the point that it is an overinvestment and
that we should be simply putting prisoners in dongas.
Mr F.M. Logan : Why
couldn't we?
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Why could we not? For two reasons: firstly, the health and safety issues that
were raised. The facilities that used to be up there were old dongas and the
kitchen and ablution facilities were old mobile caravans from Main Roads. This
is how the Labor Party does things; it does things on the cheap and then
creates all the consequences that come from that.
Mr T.G. Stephens :
It was the Liberal Party that shut down Wyndham prison!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : It
is an interesting point, which I will pick up on in a second.
Secondly, the Inspector of Custodial Services also
highlighted the substandard nature of those facilities. I might add that when
we came to government, we had substandard facilities at the work camps at
Wyndham and at Bungarun, just out of Derby. We have responded to those two
examples by making some substantial investments. It is an interesting point the
member for Pilbara raises about prisons. When the member for Cockburn was
responding on ABC radio recently with Geoff Hutchison, he talked about the fact
that our prisons are bursting at the seams. The obvious question to go back
with was: So what would you do? Would you support what the Liberal–National
government is doing by investing in prisons and investing in facilities? This
was his response —
Well hopefully, hopefully by this
time next year there will be less prisoners in prison.
The policy from the Labor Party on corrective services runs
on a wing and a prayer. They are hoping like hell that the prison population
comes down and they will not have to make the investments.
I will also highlight that it was fantastic to see the shadow
Minister for Corrective Services out the front of Parliament, prior to the sitting
here, supporting the Liberal–National government's position on
mandatory sentencing —
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : —
because that was the call from the Community and Public Sector Union out there,
and the member for Cockburn got up there, in full flight —
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Corrective Services, if you are going to refer continually to the
member for Cockburn, you should expect the behaviour that you are getting. I am
going to sit down and seek another call.
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