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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-10-13 Daily Xml
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DETENTION, ABORIGINAL BOYS

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:26): Does the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation agree with the comments made by the Attorney-General that the state Labor government believes that Aboriginal boys would have a 'better life behind bars'?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister Assisting the Premier in Cabinet Business and Public Sector Management) (15:26): I am not certain that is an accurate description of what the Attorney-General said. I will say these things about the issue with which we have been confronted by the so-called Gang of 49. I know that is a media construction. I do not think it is a gang; I do not think they are all Aboriginal people; I do not think they are all young people. I know it has become a shorthand description for the difficulties that plague us with a small group of people who persistently offend.

It is perplexing not only for us as a government but also for the Aboriginal community. Monsignor David Cappo's work in the To Break the Cycle report drew heavily on his discussions with the Aboriginal community. They are shamed by this behaviour, when young members of their community behave in this fashion. All public policy makers are perplexed about the difficulties of dealing with people who, granted, may have had appalling lives. I know people who have practised in this area. When they see the wrap sheets for these people, they see young people who have been sexually abused, people who have been victims of cigarette butt burns and people who have been hit on the head with shovels.

These people have had horrible lives, but there are other interests at stake. Victims have had to look down the end of the barrel of a shotgun when going about their ordinary tasks in daily life. No-one is pretending that this is not an incredibly difficult public policy issue, but we have obligations to ensure our citizens are safe. We will continue to work with all those who are prepared to work with us to solve this difficult issue.

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