A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding a high-speed chase involving juvenile offenders, questioning the Premier's awareness and the government's offender management approach. The Premier denies knowledge but commits to investigating.

AnsweredQoN 425Legislative Assembly
Asked
30 June 2004
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

I refer the Premier to the 28-minute high-speed chase through Perth in the early hours of Sunday, 13 June, just after the great escape, during which speeds of up to 160 kilometres an hour were reached and two juvenile offenders were apprehended. (1) Is the Premier aware that one offender was on supervised bail and the other offender was on a supervised release order for offences such as stealing a motor vehicle, reckless driving, burglary, aggravated indecent assault, attempted stealing, indecent dealings with a child under the age of 13, carrying a controlled weapon, escaping legal custody and breach of bail? (2) Is the Premier further aware that one of these offenders had breached his supervised release order prior to the high-speed chase, but the Department of Justice had not completed the appropriate breach action? (3) Will the Premier now admit that once again his Government’s lax approach to offender management has placed public safety at risk? Dr G.I. GALLOP

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(3) I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred. I will be quite happy to look into the matter. Ms S.E. Walker: You should be. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred; however, I am aware that my Government is very keen to improve offender management in Western Australia. Since we have been in government, we have been acting to do so. I will take on board the issues that the member has raised and look into the matter. The record of the Government’s approach overall is there for everyone to see. We have toughened up in this area. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
(1) Is the Premier aware that one offender was on supervised bail and the other offender was on a supervised release order for offences such as stealing a motor vehicle, reckless driving, burglary, aggravated indecent assault, attempted stealing, indecent dealings with a child under the age of 13, carrying a controlled weapon, escaping legal custody and breach of bail? (2) Is the Premier further aware that one of these offenders had breached his supervised release order prior to the high-speed chase, but the Department of Justice had not completed the appropriate breach action? (3) Will the Premier now admit that once again his Government’s lax approach to offender management has placed public safety at risk? Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred. I will be quite happy to look into the matter. Ms S.E. Walker: You should be. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred; however, I am aware that my Government is very keen to improve offender management in Western Australia. Since we have been in government, we have been acting to do so. I will take on board the issues that the member has raised and look into the matter. The record of the Government’s approach overall is there for everyone to see. We have toughened up in this area. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
(2) Is the Premier further aware that one of these offenders had breached his supervised release order prior to the high-speed chase, but the Department of Justice had not completed the appropriate breach action? (3) Will the Premier now admit that once again his Government’s lax approach to offender management has placed public safety at risk? Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred. I will be quite happy to look into the matter. Ms S.E. Walker: You should be. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred; however, I am aware that my Government is very keen to improve offender management in Western Australia. Since we have been in government, we have been acting to do so. I will take on board the issues that the member has raised and look into the matter. The record of the Government’s approach overall is there for everyone to see. We have toughened up in this area. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
(3) Will the Premier now admit that once again his Government’s lax approach to offender management has placed public safety at risk? Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred. I will be quite happy to look into the matter. Ms S.E. Walker: You should be. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred; however, I am aware that my Government is very keen to improve offender management in Western Australia. Since we have been in government, we have been acting to do so. I will take on board the issues that the member has raised and look into the matter. The record of the Government’s approach overall is there for everyone to see. We have toughened up in this area. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(3) I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred. I will be quite happy to look into the matter. Ms S.E. Walker: You should be. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred; however, I am aware that my Government is very keen to improve offender management in Western Australia. Since we have been in government, we have been acting to do so. I will take on board the issues that the member has raised and look into the matter. The record of the Government’s approach overall is there for everyone to see. We have toughened up in this area. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
(1)-(3) I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred. I will be quite happy to look into the matter. Ms S.E. Walker: You should be. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred; however, I am aware that my Government is very keen to improve offender management in Western Australia. Since we have been in government, we have been acting to do so. I will take on board the issues that the member has raised and look into the matter. The record of the Government’s approach overall is there for everyone to see. We have toughened up in this area. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
Ms S.E. Walker: You should be. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred; however, I am aware that my Government is very keen to improve offender management in Western Australia. Since we have been in government, we have been acting to do so. I will take on board the issues that the member has raised and look into the matter. The record of the Government’s approach overall is there for everyone to see. We have toughened up in this area. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred; however, I am aware that my Government is very keen to improve offender management in Western Australia. Since we have been in government, we have been acting to do so. I will take on board the issues that the member has raised and look into the matter. The record of the Government’s approach overall is there for everyone to see. We have toughened up in this area. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
Dr G.I. GALLOP: I am not aware of the circumstances to which the member has referred; however, I am aware that my Government is very keen to improve offender management in Western Australia. Since we have been in government, we have been acting to do so. I will take on board the issues that the member has raised and look into the matter. The record of the Government’s approach overall is there for everyone to see. We have toughened up in this area. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.
Dr G.I. GALLOP: We have toughened up in this area. What is more, the figures show that there has been a reduced rate of escape from custody since we came to government.

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