Page 2917 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 August 2013
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opposition does support, having introduced the legislation for that capability. That seems to be rolling out pretty effectively based on what I can see.
Both the corrections and the police areas are very difficult areas for front-line staff. They are incredibly complex. Our police officers and our custodial officers put themselves in harm’s way on an almost daily basis, if not daily basis. It is a good opportunity for us all to acknowledge the hard work that they are doing. Certainly, from the opposition’s point of view, we will continue to maintain our focus on supporting the staff. In the corrections setting, we will continue to oppose the needle and syringe program, which the corrections officers are unanimously, I think, opposed to.
We will continue to look for ways where we can provide support to our police officers, as we did in the last Assembly where the opposition moved legislation regarding police assaults which would make certain offences prescribed offences against police officers—aggravated offences which would then carry a greater sentence than if they were conducted against someone else. It would make sure that the community gets a very clear message that police officers going about the course of their business should not be subject to the sort of crimes that we are seeing, particularly with the violent assaults that they confront. (Second speaking period taken.)
Moving to other areas within the portfolio, recommendation 45 was:
… that the ACT Government immediately establish a fifth judge in the Supreme Court of the ACT.
Recommendation 46 was:
The Committee recommends that the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety Committee inquire into the management and the effectiveness of the ACT Supreme Court.
Clearly there is a problem with the Supreme Court. I think we all acknowledge that. The government acknowledges that. The delays of justice are completely unacceptable. I have probably heard members on that side bang on about justice delayed being justice denied, and I do not disagree. But it is clear that justice is being delayed and justice is being denied in the Supreme Court.
We have repeatedly called on the government to appoint a fifth Supreme Court judge. There are actions that the government has taken but they do not appear to be having the effect that we need. The Victims of Crime Commissioner told the justice and community safety committee in March 2013 that victims of sexual assault in Canberra would be traumatised by waiting for up to five years for justice in the Supreme Court.
We hear this lot bang on about human rights, don’t we, Madam Speaker? But when it comes to the rights of people who are there for their day in court, be they the victims of violent assault or people waiting for multimillion-dollar decisions, justice is being denied. This government are largely sitting on their hands and allowing this to go on as they have now for years and years.
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