❓ A parliamentary question regarding minimum mandatory sentences and prison capacity in WA. The Minister deflects, stating the matter is the Attorney General's responsibility and criticises the questioner's understanding.
AnsweredQoN 77Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LAW AND ORDER — MINIMUM MANDATORY SENTENCES
On behalf of the member for Capel, I welcome to the public gallery the students and teachers from Ocean Forest Lutheran College. I refer to the fact that Western Australian prisons are now full to capacity and unable to cope with the increased number of sentenced prisoners, and to the rapidly growing population of WA. (1) Is that why the Carpenter government refuses to support minimum mandatory sentences for those people who seriously assault public officers? (2) Is that why the government has released nine out of 15 convicted wilful murderers before they have completed their minimum 15 years? Ms M.M. QUIRK
On behalf of the member for Capel, I welcome to the public gallery the students and teachers from Ocean Forest Lutheran College. I refer to the fact that Western Australian prisons are now full to capacity and unable to cope with the increased number of sentenced prisoners, and to the rapidly growing population of WA. (1) Is that why the Carpenter government refuses to support minimum mandatory sentences for those people who seriously assault public officers? (2) Is that why the government has released nine out of 15 convicted wilful murderers before they have completed their minimum 15 years? Ms M.M. QUIRK
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
I refer to the fact that Western Australian prisons are now full to capacity and unable to cope with the increased number of sentenced prisoners, and to the rapidly growing population of WA. (1) Is that why the Carpenter government refuses to support minimum mandatory sentences for those people who seriously assault public officers? (2) Is that why the government has released nine out of 15 convicted wilful murderers before they have completed their minimum 15 years? Ms M.M. QUIRK replied: I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
(1) Is that why the Carpenter government refuses to support minimum mandatory sentences for those people who seriously assault public officers? (2) Is that why the government has released nine out of 15 convicted wilful murderers before they have completed their minimum 15 years? Ms M.M. QUIRK replied: I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
(2) Is that why the government has released nine out of 15 convicted wilful murderers before they have completed their minimum 15 years? Ms M.M. QUIRK replied: I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
Ms M.M. QUIRK replied: I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
I refer to the fact that Western Australian prisons are now full to capacity and unable to cope with the increased number of sentenced prisoners, and to the rapidly growing population of WA. (1) Is that why the Carpenter government refuses to support minimum mandatory sentences for those people who seriously assault public officers? (2) Is that why the government has released nine out of 15 convicted wilful murderers before they have completed their minimum 15 years? Ms M.M. QUIRK replied: I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
(1) Is that why the Carpenter government refuses to support minimum mandatory sentences for those people who seriously assault public officers? (2) Is that why the government has released nine out of 15 convicted wilful murderers before they have completed their minimum 15 years? Ms M.M. QUIRK replied: I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
(2) Is that why the government has released nine out of 15 convicted wilful murderers before they have completed their minimum 15 years? Ms M.M. QUIRK replied: I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
Ms M.M. QUIRK replied: I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
I thank the member for the question and for his very unsophisticated approach to matters pertaining to the criminal justice system. Unless it involves the words “old bill” or “porridge”, he does not get it. Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
Mr R.F. Johnson : That’s very good. That’s almost a joke! The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
The SPEAKER : Order, member! Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
Ms M.M. QUIRK : Those with even a rudimentary understanding of the criminal justice system would know that the Criminal Code and amendments to the Criminal Code are not my responsibility; they are the responsibility of the Attorney General, and the question should be more properly directed to him.
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