❓ A parliamentary question regarding the appointment of David Volmer as CEO of Prison Fellowship WA and his access to corrective services facilities, with accusations of impropriety. The Minister's response is defensive and dismissive.
AnsweredQoN 675Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PRISON FELLOWSHIP WESTERN AUSTRALIA — DAVID VOLMER
675. Mr P. PAPALIA to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the former Prison
Fellowship executive director, David Volmer, whom the minister met on two occasions
and whom his office corresponded with three times between May 2013 and May
2015.
(1) Can the
minister explain how Mr Volmer became CEO of Prison Fellowship and forced out
the creator of the Sycamore Tree program so rapidly after his arrival in Perth?
(2) Noting what
has happened with the ''gang of eight'', of which Mr Volmer is
part, has the minister sought a report from his department of on how many
occasions Mr Volmer visited any Western Australian corrective services
facilities, and whether or not he has met paedophiles whilst he was in those
facilities?
675. Mr P. PAPALIA to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the former Prison
Fellowship executive director, David Volmer, whom the minister met on two occasions
and whom his office corresponded with three times between May 2013 and May
2015.
(1) Can the
minister explain how Mr Volmer became CEO of Prison Fellowship and forced out
the creator of the Sycamore Tree program so rapidly after his arrival in Perth?
(2) Noting what
has happened with the ''gang of eight'', of which Mr Volmer is
part, has the minister sought a report from his department of on how many
occasions Mr Volmer visited any Western Australian corrective services
facilities, and whether or not he has met paedophiles whilst he was in those
facilities?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
have absolutely no idea how he got his job. The member for Warnbro should
direct the question to Prison Fellowship. There are hundreds and hundreds of
not-for-profit organisations, some of them based on religious beliefs, some of
them based on wanting to reform offenders, some of them based on wanting to get
people off drugs—all kinds of different reasons—motivated by
all of the best reasons. There are different organisations; some of them that
have existed for decades. How did he get the job? The member will have to ask
him. I can tell the member —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : Did I ask Prison Fellowship how it gave him the job?
Absolutely not. What a ridiculous question!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I do not want to hear any more. There has been a lot of shouting.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : What they are trying to do here, Mr Speaker, is spread their
grubbiness and sleaze and innuendo, because as the Minister for Corrective
Services, I accepted the request by a stakeholder, like I would for any other
stakeholder that delivers services into prisons, and you are trying to spread
your grubbiness —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr M. McGowan interjected.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
did exactly what any other person, including any person on that side, would
have done as a minister.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time.
Are you finished, minister?
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : Absolutely not, Mr Speaker.
Any
other person on that side would have done so, if they were doing their job as a
minister. As I said, paedophiles do not come with signs; we have no idea. We
had absolutely no idea and I can assure members that Prison Fellowship would
not have given him that job if it had any idea either. So get out of the gutter
and grow up!
have absolutely no idea how he got his job. The member for Warnbro should
direct the question to Prison Fellowship. There are hundreds and hundreds of
not-for-profit organisations, some of them based on religious beliefs, some of
them based on wanting to reform offenders, some of them based on wanting to get
people off drugs—all kinds of different reasons—motivated by
all of the best reasons. There are different organisations; some of them that
have existed for decades. How did he get the job? The member will have to ask
him. I can tell the member —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : Did I ask Prison Fellowship how it gave him the job?
Absolutely not. What a ridiculous question!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I do not want to hear any more. There has been a lot of shouting.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : What they are trying to do here, Mr Speaker, is spread their
grubbiness and sleaze and innuendo, because as the Minister for Corrective
Services, I accepted the request by a stakeholder, like I would for any other
stakeholder that delivers services into prisons, and you are trying to spread
your grubbiness —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr M. McGowan interjected.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
did exactly what any other person, including any person on that side, would
have done as a minister.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time.
Are you finished, minister?
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : Absolutely not, Mr Speaker.
Any
other person on that side would have done so, if they were doing their job as a
minister. As I said, paedophiles do not come with signs; we have no idea. We
had absolutely no idea and I can assure members that Prison Fellowship would
not have given him that job if it had any idea either. So get out of the gutter
and grow up!
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