Page 5250 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 29 November 2017
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MR WALL: Minister, how many other bus services operating from schools have been affected by the timetable changes?
MS FITZHARRIS: I will take the specifics of the question on notice, but it was the case that a number of school services changed. There was substantial information provided to schools. Of those that I am aware of that have raised some concerns, it is only those under route 455.
MS LEE: Minister, what are you doing to rectify the problems of non-supervision caused by timetable changes that affect students?
MS FITZHARRIS: As I noted in my earlier answer, there is a period of time agreed where school bus services will service any school after the final bell, and the new route 455 is within the already-agreed period regarding when the school bus will arrive after the last bell.
Justice—suspended sentences
MR HANSON: My question is to the Attorney-General. Attorney, the Victims of Crime Commissioner recently published a report on suspended sentences in the ACT. The report said that the ACT was the only jurisdiction where there is not a presumption that the original term of imprisonment would be imposed due to a breach, and that offenders who did breach their conditions often were not sent to jail. It stated:
… if suspended sentences are rarely activated upon breach, this makes a farce of the suspended sentence option …
After the Law Reform Advisory Council raised these concerns in 2010, your government promised to consult on this issue, but those discussions never occurred. Attorney-General, why did those discussions not occur?
MR RAMSAY: I thank the member for his question. I am advised that a range of consultations occurred in 2011 and that, as part of that, a broad range of opinions was expressed across the stakeholders in relation to suspended sentences. In relation to the letter that has been sent through from the Victims of Crime Commissioner, as I have mentioned publicly already, I have instructed the directorate to engage in public consultation in relation to that. I note that the view of the Victims of Crime Commissioner is not the only view on this and that there have already been alternative views expressed, which is why we are engaging in consultation at this stage.
MR HANSON: Is it true that almost three-quarters of all breaches do not result in the original sentence being imposed?
MR RAMSAY: I will take the details of that on notice.
MRS JONES: Attorney, why have you stated that you will not receive the results of these consultations until the end of next year, given that they were called for as early as 2010?
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