Page 433 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 December 2008
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no prisoners, it is difficult for any complaints to arise. It does remind me a little of the Yes, Minister episode which had the hospital with no patients, and they thought what a wonderful idea that was. Unfortunately, in this case, it is costing us $2.17 million in transitional costs. I appreciate that the government will be endeavouring to recover those costs, and I look forward to a briefing, maybe once the facility is finally finished and the prisoners are there, to ensure that we have recovered those costs and maybe it could be explained how that will be done.
In this case I am unclear as to why there is the urgency for those funds to be appropriated in this bill. Is New South Wales going to start sending those prisoners back? What is actually going to happen? Why is it that we need to get those funds through straightaway? It is still a little bit unclear to me.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for Disability and Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Corrections) (9.42): I thank Mr Hanson for his interest in the portfolio. We had a very informative trip to the BRC, the PDC, the STRC and the AMC. I could set that to music!
Mr Hanson: I know what they mean, too, now.
MR HARGREAVES: Yes, and you could accompany me too. We could do one of two things: we could take all the prisoners now, whack them in the jail and just watch them tear off towards Jerrabomberra, or we could do it properly. We would not do it like Mr Smyth would and just give the $100 to somebody else. No, we will do it properly.
In the meantime, we have an arrangement with New South Wales, and we have to cover the cost of the prisoners incarcerated in New South Wales jails—quite a number of them. The point is that we need to pay the bill, and you have to pay it in the financial year in which it occurred, which is now. That is why it has to be in a supplementary appropriation; otherwise we would be hitting up the Treasurer’s advance. Why would you hit up a Treasurer’s advance when you can bring forward a supplementary appropriation and do exactly the same thing? It is more transparent, more open and more available for discussion in a place like this, if you put it in a supplementary appropriation, and that is why it is there.
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (9.44): As has been noted, these are additional funds paid to New South Wales corrections to cover the unbudgeted costs of accommodating people detained in New South Wales, prior to the opening of the AMC. I am sure that everyone here is disappointed that we have to spend this money and that the AMC is unable to accommodate prisoners. In saying that, I am also sure everyone can appreciate that this is not a cost that could be avoided at this stage. I also understand it is likely that we will be able to recoup these costs from the project contractors because of the late commissioning of the AMC, and this is something that would need to be followed up.
In relation to point 14, additional legal expenses, on the question of expenditure for additional legal expenses, it is our understanding that this money is required because of increased demand for legal services as well as an increased number of settlements
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