Indigenous Incarceration

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:53): Supplementary: can the Attorney-General outline to the house what active steps the government is taking to honour their commitment to Reconciliation South Australia, and the broader Indigenous community in South Australia, to invest in justice reinvestment programs in South Australia, this commitment made prior to the last election?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (14:53): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for that very important question. The fact is that I am very keen to be able to support a justice reinvestment program which will actually make a difference for Aboriginal people. Nobody would be happier than me to be a supporter of that. But can I just tell the parliament a little story, just a very small one?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I'll just tell you a little story. In the United States, not that long ago, some well-meaning people who were trying to deflect juvenile offenders out of a career in crime came up with a terrific program, and that program involved taking those juvenile offenders into high security prisons, sitting them in rooms with high security, dangerous criminals. The idea was that these young offenders would be so confronted by what they saw with these hardened criminals they would go, 'Whoa! Not for me, I'm out of this. I'm going to get myself a job and get a good education.' What happened? I will tell you what happened. That program made people worse. My point being that when somebody can come to me with a program which has empirical proof that it makes a difference and not just makes somebody feel good—

Mr Marshall: Why did you commit to doing something then?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I committed to doing something which will make a difference and as soon as—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Can I finish answering the question?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is called to order and the deputy leader is warned for the second and final time. The member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I haven't finished. I just needed your protection, Mr Speaker, because I was being caterwauled at.

The SPEAKER: I am sorry. I was dealing with another member.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Did I hear someone who is on two warnings? Accordingly, I transfer the second warning to the member for Newland. It's a far, far better thing he does. The Deputy Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: We are presently in the process of seeking submissions or proposals from organisations that believe that they have programs which are capable of being demonstrated empirically to make a difference, and if and when we come up with a proposal that can be proven to make a difference, we will proceed with it. However, just as it is important to do these programs, I am not doing anybody a service by spending taxpayers' money on a program which is somebody's work of love and somebody's heartfelt personal project, but which does not actually make any practical difference except potentially employ that person to do that thing for a while—that is the point.