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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-18 Daily Xml
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MAGILL TRAINING CENTRE

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): My question is to the Minister for Families and Communities. Has the government completed a review into the Magill Training Centre and assessed the centre against compliance with international treaties to provide facilities and services that meet all the requirements of health and human dignity for juvenile offenders; if so, does the centre comply? George Mancini, the President of the Civil Liberties Council, has expressed concern that the Magill Training Centre does not meet—

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Attorney-General will come to order!

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: Not long to go now, Martin!

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: The President of the Civil Liberties Council has expressed concern that the Magill Training Centre does not meet international treaties.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Attorney-General is warned!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Pam Simmons, the children's advocate, has expressed her concern regarding the conditions in the centre. The social inclusion commissioner said on 9 June that he thinks the centre should be bulldozed. Frances Nelson QC has said publicly, 'If we don't deal appropriately with juvenile offenders, there is a strong probability they will turn into adult offenders.'

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Northern Suburbs, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability) (14:30): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. Obviously, the government making the decision not to continue with the PPP over the prisons and the juvenile detention centre was a particularly difficult decision. We acknowledge that these facilities are old and that we would like to have been able to replace them. The simple fact of the matter is that in this budget we were not able to do that.

The Leader of the Opposition refers to Monsignor Cappo and the guardian for children making comment about the standard of the facilities there. What was really pleasing is that they had high praise for the staff and for the programs that are operating at that facility. They are important programs. Many of these young children have not had significant attachments to adults in their lives. Many of these young people have not been exposed to nutritious diets. Many of these young people have not been regular attendees at school.

These things are happening in Magill. It is not bricks and mortar that make for good rehabilitation programs, and it is not bricks and mortar that are providing a good education and the skills these young people need to keep them on the right track when they leave the detention centre.

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