Page 1331 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 5 April 2011
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MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Prison staff state in the Burnet report that drug use issues were prevalent amongst the prison population.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, preamble.
MR HANSON: Attorney-General, why is drug use prevalent amongst the prison population?
MR CORBELL: Once again, we see the naivete and the simplistic assertion from those opposite—
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order, members!
MR CORBELL: Shock horror, Mr Speaker: people end up in prison because they use drugs. Just because they are in prison does not mean that all of them seek to cease using drugs. That is the context in which we are dealing with those issues. It is quite extraordinary that Mr Hanson and those opposite seem to believe that just because you are in prison you cease your risk-taking behaviour or you cease behaviours associated with drug abuse. It is not that simple. Mr Hanson should know it is not that simple. God forbid how he would seek to deal with this issue if ever he were minister for this portfolio.
Youth and family services framework
MS HUNTER: My question is to the Minister for Children and Young People and is in regard to the letter sent to organisations last Friday delaying the tender process for the Youth and Family Service Delivery Framework after organisations had spent six weeks frantically writing their tenders. Why has the tender process been delayed by nine months until 29 February 2012, and does this mean that the process has been aborted? If not, when will the tenderers be notified of whether they were successful or not?
MS BURCH: I thank Ms Hunter for her question. I have been advised recently that the tender panel make-up has changed and as a consequence there is a slight delay in the assessment of the tenders. As a result of that, we thought it prudent and beneficial for the services to be given full and adequate notice of that delay, and indeed be given adequate time in the transition at the end. I have worked in the community sector and I know a member of the crossbench has worked in the community sector, and it is very difficult for organisations to come to an end of a contract in that transition period. So, whilst the tender process has been minorly delayed, we have offset that delay by giving very adequate transition processes to the end of the tender.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Ms Hunter.
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