Mr Hort questions the Minister for Corrective Services about a reported $1 billion secret prison plan, which the Minister denies, stating the department is working on an accommodation infrastructure proposal due to increasing prison population.

AnsweredQoN 25Legislative Assembly
Asked
9 April 2025
Portfolio
Corrective Services

QuestionView source ↗

Corrective services—Prisons
25. Mr Adam Hort to the Minister for Corrective Services :
May I congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on your ascension. It
has been wonderful to work with you in the past, being from neighbouring
electorates. Despite being on opposite sides of the floor, I look forward to
working with you for the east of Perth.
I refer to media
reports about a new $1 billion secret prison being planned and I note that the
Premier in March denied knowledge of the plan.
(1) When was the minister briefed on a plan for
the new prison?
(2) What is the estimated cost for a new prison?
(3) Has the government decided to proceed with the
new prison?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for his question.
(1)–(3) It is the nature of secrets that
they are secret. Sadly, member, there is no secret plan. I can tell the member
that work is being done by the department on a global accommodation
infrastructure proposal to accommodate the increasing prison population. There
has been significant growth in recent years and as a consequence, a range of
measures are being implemented right now. There is an immediate response, a mid-term
response and a longer proposal, all of which are part of a proposal by the
agency, but it has not yet come to us for consideration. What the member saw, I
think, during the caretaker period was a story generated by prison officers and
is not reflective of any secret agenda.

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