❓ Mr. Zempilas questions the Premier about resource limitations in electronic monitoring of family and domestic violence perpetrators, citing conflicting information from corrections officials and the police union. The Premier defends the government's investment and commitment to addressing FDV.
AnsweredQoN 42Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Family and domestic violence—Mobile phone black
spots—Regions
42 . Mr Basil Zempilas to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's comments on radio last week that he
was advised that the limitations with the electronic monitoring of perpetrators
of family and domestic violence are due to mobile phone black spots in regional
WA.
(1) Why are corrections officials telling the
courts that they do not have the resources to carry out monitoring?
(2) Why is the police union saying that officers
are frustrated with the Department of Justice's electronic monitoring
program due to a lack of resources?
(3) Is the Premier saying that corrections officials
and police are wrong and resourcing is not an issue?
spots—Regions
42 . Mr Basil Zempilas to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's comments on radio last week that he
was advised that the limitations with the electronic monitoring of perpetrators
of family and domestic violence are due to mobile phone black spots in regional
WA.
(1) Why are corrections officials telling the
courts that they do not have the resources to carry out monitoring?
(2) Why is the police union saying that officers
are frustrated with the Department of Justice's electronic monitoring
program due to a lack of resources?
(3) Is the Premier saying that corrections officials
and police are wrong and resourcing is not an issue?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) No government in the history of
this state has taken family and domestic violence more seriously than my
government. That has involved the appointment of Western Australia's first Minister
for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, a record investment off the
back of our family and domestic violence summit in 2023 and record investment
since then. Since 2017 alone, we have invested over half a billion dollars extra
in FDV initiatives and increased the refuge capacity across WA by 30%. We have
invested more than $42 million to implement the new laws, providing $27 million
to the Department of Justice and $14 million to WA police.
The Leader of the Opposition may
have been busily doing final preparations for his inaugural speech, so I will
forgive him for not hanging on every word that the Attorney General provided in
his brief ministerial statement just a short hour ago.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Roger Cook: The Attorney General provided
significant detail in relation to the rollout of our nation-leading laws, which
include electronic monitoring as part of our courts' efforts to monitor bail
and parole accused or offenders to ensure that they can provide extra
protections. As the Attorney General said, when anyone breaches their
electronic monitoring arrangements, police are deployed. They are monitored
24/7 by corrections officers, who sit in our State Operations Command Centre shoulder
to shoulder with police, who will respond to any breach. Any maintenance or
technical issues associated with the bracelets are attended to by corrections officers.
We have provided $28 million for a further 35 corrections officers since we passed
these laws in December, and all but one of those people are now in place. In
July this year, there will be further funding for another dozen corrections officers
to continue to be deployed to make sure that we back up this nation-leading new
service. We are doing everything that the Western Australian public would
expect from a government that actually takes family and domestic violence
seriously.
this state has taken family and domestic violence more seriously than my
government. That has involved the appointment of Western Australia's first Minister
for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, a record investment off the
back of our family and domestic violence summit in 2023 and record investment
since then. Since 2017 alone, we have invested over half a billion dollars extra
in FDV initiatives and increased the refuge capacity across WA by 30%. We have
invested more than $42 million to implement the new laws, providing $27 million
to the Department of Justice and $14 million to WA police.
The Leader of the Opposition may
have been busily doing final preparations for his inaugural speech, so I will
forgive him for not hanging on every word that the Attorney General provided in
his brief ministerial statement just a short hour ago.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Roger Cook: The Attorney General provided
significant detail in relation to the rollout of our nation-leading laws, which
include electronic monitoring as part of our courts' efforts to monitor bail
and parole accused or offenders to ensure that they can provide extra
protections. As the Attorney General said, when anyone breaches their
electronic monitoring arrangements, police are deployed. They are monitored
24/7 by corrections officers, who sit in our State Operations Command Centre shoulder
to shoulder with police, who will respond to any breach. Any maintenance or
technical issues associated with the bracelets are attended to by corrections officers.
We have provided $28 million for a further 35 corrections officers since we passed
these laws in December, and all but one of those people are now in place. In
July this year, there will be further funding for another dozen corrections officers
to continue to be deployed to make sure that we back up this nation-leading new
service. We are doing everything that the Western Australian public would
expect from a government that actually takes family and domestic violence
seriously.
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