Mr BURKE - 2002-02-26
Minister, this question concerns the conduct of this government, its interference with the public service and its treatment of Territorians equitably and without bias. Minister, during your time as the Minister for Correctional Services, did you or anyone from your office ever attempt to direct prison staff not to transfer Aboriginal prisoners from Darwin to Alice Springs, instructing them that only Asians and whites could be transferred, and does that policy, based on racial grounds, continue to operate and affect decisions in your current portfolios?
ANSWER
To answer, Madam Speaker, the last part of the question, definitely no. It is not in this government’s interests to have any hint of racial policies whatsoever. I have provided no direction to the department at all. If he can show proof otherwise, I would ask the opposition leader to present that.
The matter to which the opposition leader refers, when I was the minister for Corrections, was discussions held with the CEO at the time about the prisons’ population rates, both in Berrimah and the Alice Springs Gaol. But at no time did I ever give an instruction to, or put in writing, that Aboriginal prisoners were not to be transferred to the Alice Springs Correctional Centre.
ANSWER
To answer, Madam Speaker, the last part of the question, definitely no. It is not in this government’s interests to have any hint of racial policies whatsoever. I have provided no direction to the department at all. If he can show proof otherwise, I would ask the opposition leader to present that.
The matter to which the opposition leader refers, when I was the minister for Corrections, was discussions held with the CEO at the time about the prisons’ population rates, both in Berrimah and the Alice Springs Gaol. But at no time did I ever give an instruction to, or put in writing, that Aboriginal prisoners were not to be transferred to the Alice Springs Correctional Centre.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016