Mr STYLES - 2012-12-05
Can you tell the House about the $448 000 announced in the mini-budget to fund two extra work parties in the Department of Correctional Services.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his fine question. When a person is convicted in the Northern Territory of a crime, they have a debt to pay to the society in which they live. We, on the conservative benches of this government, believe you should repay that debt to society in many practical ways. I would like to be able to do it for free but, unfortunately, it costs money. The question was quite correct; the budget contains an amount of $448 000 to ensure we can get two more work parties into the community.
Part of repaying the debt to the community which they have offended against includes providing services to people such as pensioners. We have many people - some 500 individuals - who receive services from these work parties. The mowing of lawns and those sorts of things are done and that is part of the debt these people pay back to the community. There are some 80 extra people who will receive services from these prison work gangs.
I have made it clear that under a Country Liberals’ government, the Corrections system will seek to correct. That means we will expect prisoners to work and put in an effort, not only to the inside of the prison where they work, but to the community as a whole.
The Northern Territory public has every right to expect to see these work gangs out and about working to restore some of the damage they have done to the people of the Northern Territory. I will ensure the Northern Territory public will see more and more of these people working in the community so we can take comfort in the fact these people, once they have been found guilty of the crimes they have committed, answer to the community they have offended against ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Will the minister admit it was a fantastic initiative under the Labor government which he is simply carrying on?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, be seated.
Mr ELFERINK: That is not only not a point of order, but it is wrong. These work gangs go back a long time and they predate the Labor government by a long chalk. This is not about the CLP or a Labor government winning; this is about prisoners making good on the damage they have done.
I am unembarrassed to say we will make prison life an environment where you will be expected to work. We will ensure the people who owe that debt to the community repay it, unlike the members on the benches opposite who seem to think the only answer to crime in the Northern Territory is a hug.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his fine question. When a person is convicted in the Northern Territory of a crime, they have a debt to pay to the society in which they live. We, on the conservative benches of this government, believe you should repay that debt to society in many practical ways. I would like to be able to do it for free but, unfortunately, it costs money. The question was quite correct; the budget contains an amount of $448 000 to ensure we can get two more work parties into the community.
Part of repaying the debt to the community which they have offended against includes providing services to people such as pensioners. We have many people - some 500 individuals - who receive services from these work parties. The mowing of lawns and those sorts of things are done and that is part of the debt these people pay back to the community. There are some 80 extra people who will receive services from these prison work gangs.
I have made it clear that under a Country Liberals’ government, the Corrections system will seek to correct. That means we will expect prisoners to work and put in an effort, not only to the inside of the prison where they work, but to the community as a whole.
The Northern Territory public has every right to expect to see these work gangs out and about working to restore some of the damage they have done to the people of the Northern Territory. I will ensure the Northern Territory public will see more and more of these people working in the community so we can take comfort in the fact these people, once they have been found guilty of the crimes they have committed, answer to the community they have offended against ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Will the minister admit it was a fantastic initiative under the Labor government which he is simply carrying on?
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order, be seated.
Mr ELFERINK: That is not only not a point of order, but it is wrong. These work gangs go back a long time and they predate the Labor government by a long chalk. This is not about the CLP or a Labor government winning; this is about prisoners making good on the damage they have done.
I am unembarrassed to say we will make prison life an environment where you will be expected to work. We will ensure the people who owe that debt to the community repay it, unlike the members on the benches opposite who seem to think the only answer to crime in the Northern Territory is a hug.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016