Page 3286 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 21 August 2018

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I also want to touch on the money in the budget for more protective firefighting equipment. The budget provides $270,000 for new protective helmets, which is welcomed. However, we recognise that protective equipment is about more than just helmets. As the technology and reliability of all equipment, including firefighting suits and breathing apparatuses, are improving, this must be kept up. It is important that our firefighters have equipment that will best protect them in very hazardous and dangerous situations, so I do hope to see further investments in additional protective equipment in future budgets.

The Greens are pleased to see additional resources given to police, and in particular to Taskforce Nemesis, which aims to target, disrupt, deter and prevent organised crime. There has been considerable community concern recently about the presence and activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs in our city. These additional resources are part of the range of measures that the government is taking to tackle outlaw motorcycle gang-related violence. We believe these measures, in addition to recent legislative measures, will assist police to disrupt that activity in Canberra.

We are also pleased to see funding in the budget for an additional magistrate. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the appointment of Louise Taylor as the eighth permanent magistrate sitting on the ACT Magistrates Court. The Magistrates Court will be where many people first interact with the justice system. Whilst the cases may not be as high profile as those in the Supreme Court, they are equally important and can have a significant impact on people’s lives.

Like other jurisdictions, the ACT Magistrates Court has been under significant pressures, with many individuals waiting for many months for matters to be resolved. This can add additional stress to what is already a stressful experience, both for the alleged offender and for the victims of crime. As the Minister for Corrections, of course, I see the impact of this on our prison. As the saying goes, “Justice delayed is justice denied,” and we believe the addition of an eighth magistrate will go a long way to alleviating some of the pressures experienced by the court.

Finally, we welcome the additional funding towards the creation of the ACT’s first drug and alcohol court. This was an election commitment that we took to the 2016 poll, and it is an important item in the parliamentary agreement, alongside our targets for reducing recidivism.

A drug and alcohol court will give the judiciary another option to divert offenders from serious involvement in the justice system and instead enable them to seek proper treatment to address their drug and alcohol addictions. We have seen the model working in other jurisdictions and producing very promising results. I know that the government is in the process of evaluating how to implement such a court in order to obtain high quality outcomes in the territory. I look forward to seeing further work on that because I believe this is an important project that, as I discussed in my earlier remarks, can help people to get their lives back on track. I look forward to working with my fellow ministers to deliver that.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.


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