Page 3036 - Week 07 - Thursday, 1 July 2010
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use of their respective community awareness and education programs to advise victims of their rights in connection with concerns or complaints they may have.
Mr Speaker, the bill also establishes the Victims Advisory Board. The board will provide a platform to formulate protocols and procedures for the treatment of victims of crime and advise the Attorney-General on the development of policies and plans to promote the rights of victims of crime.
The intention is to use the board to encourage agencies to implement and actively participate in protocols between agencies. The board does not replace any of the commissioner’s current or new functions outlined in the bill. Rather, it is to complement and support the commissioner in his or her role to achieve better outcomes for victims of crime.
The bill outlines the make-up of the board. To complement the government’s commitment to victims’ issues and to ensure victims’ interests are prominent public sector priorities, the board will be chaired by the chief executive of the Department of Justice.
Should the chief executive need to delegate the responsibility, it is intended that this delegation will not go below a deputy chief executive level. The commissioner will be a full-time member of the board and membership of the board will consist of representatives of government justice agencies and non-government agencies including the DPP, ACT Policing, the ACT Courts, Corrective Services, Youth Justice and Restorative Justice, three members from victim service groups, a representative from the Indigenous community and one person who is a lawyer.
It is essential that the representatives on the board cover a cross-section of the community and, importantly, represent a broad range of views. This is always a challenge. However, the government is confident that the proposed structure for the Victims Advisory Board achieves this.
The Victims of Crime Amendment Bill complements other important statutory and administrative developments and reforms. For example, it effectively catches up with the practicalities that have flowed from the government’s amalgamation of victim advocacy and support services in Victim Support ACT to ensure a one-stop shop for victims of crime.
These entities are currently administered by the person who holds the position of Victims of Crime Coordinator, but some are currently departmental functions while others have been roles of the statutory functionary. The amendments will also enable the Victims of Crime Commissioner to have a clearer mandate for a whole-of-system oversight role in relation to a range of initiatives as part of the sexual assault reform program to enhance the criminal justice response to vulnerable victims of crime. Mr Speaker, this bill continues the government’s commitment to victims of crime and I commend it to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mrs Dunne) adjourned to the next sitting.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker—
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