CHILDREN IN STATE CARE INQUIRY

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:47): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question relating to the Mullighan inquiry.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The recently released report of the Mullighan inquiry recommended that the sexual behaviour clinic of the Department for Correctional Services be expanded so that all child sex offenders can attend the program while in custody and at any stage of their sentence. This is the only recommendation of the inquiry that the government rejected. According to the government response to the inquiry, tabled on 17 June, the government rejected this recommendation on the basis that the recommendation was 'not operationally feasible'.

However, the opposition has been advised by people within Correctional Services that the expansion is feasible; in fact, the government has had the proposal costed. Further, on Tuesday, the minister advised an estimates committee of the other place that she would not answer a question on this topic because the proposal was still to be considered by cabinet. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister agree with the government's response to the Mullighan inquiry that the expansion of the sexual behaviour clinic is not operationally feasible?

2. If the proposal is not operationally feasible, how could it be costed, and what was the cost?

3. If the proposal is not operationally feasible, why is cabinet going to consider it nearly two weeks after the government response denied it was feasible?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:48): I will go back and check the estimates hearing as to what question was actually asked of me. Clearly, I took some advice on the floor at the time. In relation to the sex offender treatment program, I do need to remind members opposite that it was this government that introduced the program, and it is this government—

The Hon. P. Holloway: Yes, 'this' again; exactly.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: This again; absolutely. It is this government that is continuing to fund this program because—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Wortley! The minister does not need your assistance; she is doing very well by herself.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I will remind the chamber again that—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: It was indeed this government that introduced the sex offender treatment program. We have made funding available every year because we realise the importance of the program.

In relation to the recommendation the honourable member talked about, we believe that the treatment works best towards the end of a person's sentence and, of course, there is also maintenance treatment in the community. So, for those very obvious reasons, it is targeted at high-risk offenders, and it works best towards the end of their treatment. It is a very intensive course, and we have been quite open and honest about that. We believe that we need to continue in the way we have been, to target those who are most at risk in order to protect the community from those people.