Page 4430 - Week 14 - Thursday, 28 November 2013

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second century and present a united picture, a united story, of the Canberra we are now and the Canberra we would like to become. It has been very well put together by a number of leading Canberra citizens who have involved themselves in the Brand Council project. This has been done over 15 months. The product that it has produced is very high quality and, importantly, underpinned by a rigorous evidence base.

That is certainly one of the very strong legacy projects of the centenary year, building on that community pride with a unifying story to tell, and then taking that and letting the rest of the nation know that we are confident, we are bold and we are ready. And there is much to celebrate about Canberra—

Opposition members interjecting—

MS GALLAGHER: despite the scoffs from those opposite.

Mr Hanson: What are you ready for, Katy?

MS GALLAGHER: We are ready for anything over here. We are ready for anything. We are still waiting for something interesting to come from you, but we are ready for anything.

MADAM SPEAKER: Chief Minister, don’t encourage him.

Alexander Maconochie Centre—lockdowns

MR WALL: My question is to the Minister for Corrective Services. At the JACS committee on 13 November this year the Official Visitor noted that as a consequence of squeezing in more detainees there are more lockdowns and that long lockdowns have occurred. He said the increase in lockdowns has meant that detainees may have as little as four to five hours out of cells per day, which means they cannot get to courses and cannot get appropriate physical exercise. He said as a result of overcrowding there is more tension in jail and a risk of more violence. Minister, what is the maximum period of lockdown that has been experienced by an individual prisoner this year?

MR RATTENBURY: I will take that on notice and provide Mr Wall with a response.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Wall.

MR WALL: Minister, has there been an increase in violence at the AMC this year?

MR RATTENBURY: The comments that the Official Visitor made at the annual reports hearings I did take note of. I think there has been no secret in this place of the fact that there is pressure at the AMC, and I have spelled that out on a number of occasions.

In terms of levels of violence, the full ROGS data will come out in January—the report on government services. That will provide a detailed analysis. But I saw some figures the other day which I do not have to hand at the moment but which, if I recall correctly, indicated that the level of assaults has decreased in the past 12 months.


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