❓ Mr. Kelly questions the Premier about the location of disability justice centres near schools without community consultation. The Premier defends the decision, emphasizing the residents' intellectual disabilities and lack of threat to the community.
AnsweredQoN 304Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DISABILITY
JUSTICE CENTRES — BASSENDEAN ELECTORATE
304. Mr D.J.
KELLY to the Premier:
I refer to the decision to locate two disability justice
centres in Lockridge and Kiara close to schools and with no community
consultation. I refer the Premier to his comments in 2003 on minimum-security
prisons, when he said that that type of facility cannot, should not and never
should be located in a built-up residential area.
(1) Are these facilities medium-security centres; and, if so,
why locate them in built-up residential areas?
(2) Why were
sites located within close proximity to schools when the government's
own selection criteria for these centres specifically said ''don't
locate them in close proximity to schools''?
JUSTICE CENTRES — BASSENDEAN ELECTORATE
304. Mr D.J.
KELLY to the Premier:
I refer to the decision to locate two disability justice
centres in Lockridge and Kiara close to schools and with no community
consultation. I refer the Premier to his comments in 2003 on minimum-security
prisons, when he said that that type of facility cannot, should not and never
should be located in a built-up residential area.
(1) Are these facilities medium-security centres; and, if so,
why locate them in built-up residential areas?
(2) Why were
sites located within close proximity to schools when the government's
own selection criteria for these centres specifically said ''don't
locate them in close proximity to schools''?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
The first comment I would make is that these are not minimum-security prisons
at all; they are not prisons. I think that is demeaning to the people in these
houses. The member made a serious error in referring to them as such.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
They're houses with offenders in them.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
By their interjections, members opposite display a complete lack of compassion
and respect for people who are —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Would
the member for Wanneroo and the member for Perth like to go outside and finish
their meeting? I call you both to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The people who would be accommodated within these houses have an intellectual
disability; they are disabled. In almost all cases, I think that intellectual
disability would come from birth. This is an opportunity for people with an
intellectual disability who may have committed a minor offence and people who
have not gone to trial or been convicted —
Mr P. Papalia : How
do you know it's going to be a minor offence?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
People who have not been found guilty of an offence, even though they may have
offended, because —
Mr
P. Papalia : You said ''a minor offence''.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : This is the lack of compassion I spoke of. The people we are
talking about are not capable of standing trial. There is a complete lack of
compassion from members opposite. I am talking about, generally, young adults
who are not capable of standing trial—not capable of pleading innocent
or guilty. Members opposite talk about prisons and offenders. These people have
not been convicted because they are not capable of going through a trial
process.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
This is completely pointless. I would have thought the Labor Party would take
the issue of disability with some sincerity, and it fails to do so. The people
who will be selected to move into these areas will not in any way be a threat
to the community.
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : You are insulting people with a disability.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
Premier, if you wish to continue, address your remarks through the Chair.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The site in Lockridge is about half a kilometre from the
school. I am advised that if that area of land, which is quite large, is
subdivided for housing, there will be seven streets between the houses and the
school. The other area in Kiara, which will proceed first, is in a separate
area.
Mr
D.J. Kelly : They are all completely wrong.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I can understand the concern and the angst in the community.
That is why the Minister for Disability Services went out and faced a pretty
angry crowd. To the best of her ability, she dealt with that. The discussion
and the consultation with the community is going on.
An opposition member referred to me
being on radio the other day, and I was. There were a couple of angry calls.
There was also a call from a mother of a child with an intellectual disability.
She rang in afterwards. Paul Murray read out her words, which were to the
effect that basically she did not like Colin Barnett very much but she likes
him a bit more now maybe because at least he is showing some respect and
compassion for people like her child with an intellectual disability.
The first comment I would make is that these are not minimum-security prisons
at all; they are not prisons. I think that is demeaning to the people in these
houses. The member made a serious error in referring to them as such.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
They're houses with offenders in them.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
By their interjections, members opposite display a complete lack of compassion
and respect for people who are —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Would
the member for Wanneroo and the member for Perth like to go outside and finish
their meeting? I call you both to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The people who would be accommodated within these houses have an intellectual
disability; they are disabled. In almost all cases, I think that intellectual
disability would come from birth. This is an opportunity for people with an
intellectual disability who may have committed a minor offence and people who
have not gone to trial or been convicted —
Mr P. Papalia : How
do you know it's going to be a minor offence?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
People who have not been found guilty of an offence, even though they may have
offended, because —
Mr
P. Papalia : You said ''a minor offence''.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : This is the lack of compassion I spoke of. The people we are
talking about are not capable of standing trial. There is a complete lack of
compassion from members opposite. I am talking about, generally, young adults
who are not capable of standing trial—not capable of pleading innocent
or guilty. Members opposite talk about prisons and offenders. These people have
not been convicted because they are not capable of going through a trial
process.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
This is completely pointless. I would have thought the Labor Party would take
the issue of disability with some sincerity, and it fails to do so. The people
who will be selected to move into these areas will not in any way be a threat
to the community.
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : You are insulting people with a disability.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
Premier, if you wish to continue, address your remarks through the Chair.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The site in Lockridge is about half a kilometre from the
school. I am advised that if that area of land, which is quite large, is
subdivided for housing, there will be seven streets between the houses and the
school. The other area in Kiara, which will proceed first, is in a separate
area.
Mr
D.J. Kelly : They are all completely wrong.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I can understand the concern and the angst in the community.
That is why the Minister for Disability Services went out and faced a pretty
angry crowd. To the best of her ability, she dealt with that. The discussion
and the consultation with the community is going on.
An opposition member referred to me
being on radio the other day, and I was. There were a couple of angry calls.
There was also a call from a mother of a child with an intellectual disability.
She rang in afterwards. Paul Murray read out her words, which were to the
effect that basically she did not like Colin Barnett very much but she likes
him a bit more now maybe because at least he is showing some respect and
compassion for people like her child with an intellectual disability.
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