❓ Mr. McGowan questions the Premier about the significant increase in Aboriginal people imprisoned for fine default under his government. The Premier responds by acknowledging the issue, discussing related challenges like deaths in custody, and committing to addressing the problem.
AnsweredQoN 852Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ABORIGINAL
PRISON POPULATION — PREMIER'S COMMENTS
852. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
statement today that he would personally take on the role of reducing the
number of Aboriginal people in prison.
(1) Why has the
number of Aboriginal people in prison for fine default over the past five years
of this government increased from 101 in 2008 to 590 in 2013?
(2) How can the
Premier justify a more than 500 per cent increase in the number of Aboriginal
people in prison for fine default on his watch?
PRISON POPULATION — PREMIER'S COMMENTS
852. Mr M. McGOWAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
statement today that he would personally take on the role of reducing the
number of Aboriginal people in prison.
(1) Why has the
number of Aboriginal people in prison for fine default over the past five years
of this government increased from 101 in 2008 to 590 in 2013?
(2) How can the
Premier justify a more than 500 per cent increase in the number of Aboriginal
people in prison for fine default on his watch?
AnswerView source ↗
Before I answer that question, I
welcome the students from Dudley Park Primary School in the Deputy Premier's
electorate of Dawesville.
(1)–(2) A
lot of work has been done in our prisons to reduce the number of deaths in
custody and to try to reduce the number of young people in detention for what
might be seen as relatively minor offences. In some areas the number has been
reduced and the Minister for Corrective Services and others have been working
on that. Along with the Minister for Corrective Services, I attended a rally on
the steps of Parliament House relating primarily to the very sad death of
Julieka Dhu while in the care of the state. Investigations into that case, both
police and coronial, will take place. I made two commitments to people outside
to reassure them that the full truth of what happened in that case would be
found and made available to them. That case has pointed to some problems in the
complex circumstance of dealing with the family of a deceased. A number of
government agencies are involved in that whole issue, including, obviously, WA Police
and the WA Country Health Service, and maybe the Department of Corrective
Services and the Department of the Attorney General. The family situation is also a little different. Two different
people were nominated as next of kin at different times, so some agencies
talked to some family members; other agencies talked to other family members.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am trying to treat a serious issue seriously. From that
experience, and perhaps others, we have learned that there needs to be better
coordination, if nothing else, of what goes on and the way information is
communicated to family members, and that is something we will address.
I also commented that there are too many deaths in custody
of not only Aboriginal people.
The reality is that there are more non-Aboriginal deaths in custody than
Aboriginal deaths and there are also far too many suicides of young
people within our wider community. I said I would work with the relevant
ministers and take on a personal responsibility to try to reduce the rate of
incarceration of young people, particularly Aboriginal people, and I will do my
best to do that. I cannot guarantee that will —
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I hoped members would take a slightly more gracious and even
bipartisan approach in trying to deal with a serious social issue in our
community.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time. Member
for Butler, I call you to order for the second time.
welcome the students from Dudley Park Primary School in the Deputy Premier's
electorate of Dawesville.
(1)–(2) A
lot of work has been done in our prisons to reduce the number of deaths in
custody and to try to reduce the number of young people in detention for what
might be seen as relatively minor offences. In some areas the number has been
reduced and the Minister for Corrective Services and others have been working
on that. Along with the Minister for Corrective Services, I attended a rally on
the steps of Parliament House relating primarily to the very sad death of
Julieka Dhu while in the care of the state. Investigations into that case, both
police and coronial, will take place. I made two commitments to people outside
to reassure them that the full truth of what happened in that case would be
found and made available to them. That case has pointed to some problems in the
complex circumstance of dealing with the family of a deceased. A number of
government agencies are involved in that whole issue, including, obviously, WA Police
and the WA Country Health Service, and maybe the Department of Corrective
Services and the Department of the Attorney General. The family situation is also a little different. Two different
people were nominated as next of kin at different times, so some agencies
talked to some family members; other agencies talked to other family members.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am trying to treat a serious issue seriously. From that
experience, and perhaps others, we have learned that there needs to be better
coordination, if nothing else, of what goes on and the way information is
communicated to family members, and that is something we will address.
I also commented that there are too many deaths in custody
of not only Aboriginal people.
The reality is that there are more non-Aboriginal deaths in custody than
Aboriginal deaths and there are also far too many suicides of young
people within our wider community. I said I would work with the relevant
ministers and take on a personal responsibility to try to reduce the rate of
incarceration of young people, particularly Aboriginal people, and I will do my
best to do that. I cannot guarantee that will —
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I hoped members would take a slightly more gracious and even
bipartisan approach in trying to deal with a serious social issue in our
community.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time. Member
for Butler, I call you to order for the second time.
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