House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-06-14 Daily Xml

Contents

PRISON CONDITIONS

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (14:33): My question is to the Minister for Correctional Services. Will she rule out the transfer of the prisoner known as Jacqui from the SA corrections system to mental health facilities in Victoria, and would such a move signal a failure of the SA corrections and mental health systems under this government?

Corrections have previously engaged Victorian-based mental health experts to deal with this patient. Public Advocate, Dr John Brayley, and others, have raised the prospect of such a transfer if SA Health will not accept and deal with her condition at James Nash House, as we have heard. Neither the Minister for Correctional Services nor the Minister for Health has ruled out removal of the patient to Victoria.

The Hon. J.D. Hill interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister for corrections.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:34): I would be happy to come back to the house and correct myself if I am wrong here, but my recollection is that not one application for transfer to another state from a prisoner that has come across my desk have I rejected. What the member for Waite needs to understand is it is up to the receiving jurisdiction to make a—

Ms Chapman: Would you let her know?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Do you never listen?

The SPEAKER: Member for Bragg, order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Do you never listen?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: You have to listen!

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bragg will sit down. Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! We will not have people shrieking at each other across the floor.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bragg, you have a point of order.

Ms CHAPMAN: I do, Madam Speaker. In your defence, the shrieking at you about you being quiet should be withdrawn by the minister.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Bragg, for coming to my defence. Minister, could you return back to the substance of the question, thank you.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The whole house knows it wasn't you that was doing the shrieking.

Mr Pederick: You shouldn't have gone away for two days, Jay; it goes out of control.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Never mind. As I said, and I will repeat this for the benefit of the member for Bragg, if she can listen for half a minute.

Mr Pisoni: Or come back tomorrow and correct it.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: To the best of my recollection, not one application to transfer to an interstate prison which has come across my desk have I rejected—not one. Should I receive an application from this prisoner, I am happy to look at it, I am happy to give it due consideration and, more than likely, I would approve it. It is up to, however, the receiving jurisdiction whether they would accept that prisoner but, more importantly, the prisoner themselves needs to make that request and, as far as I am aware, that hasn't happened.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Bragg! The member for Bragg will leave the chamber for 10 minutes.

The honourable member for Bragg having withdrawn from the chamber:

Mr Whetstone: What about the minister? She's worse.

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey will also leave the chamber for 10 minutes for shouting at the Speaker.

The honourable member for Chaffey having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: We will have some order. The member for Reynell.