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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-23 Daily Xml
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SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR CLINIC

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:39): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question about the Sexual Behaviour Clinic.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: On 11 September 2008, the minister confirmed the government's backflip of its rejection of the Mullighan inquiry recommendation to expand the Sexual Behaviour Clinic programs. The opposition is concerned about suggestions from within the corrections sector that the expanded program will be funded by a reduction in sexual offender behaviour programs in the community. My questions are:

1. Where is the money for the present program coming from?

2. Will the minister assure the council that the expanded program is fully funded from new money and that no other programs of the department are being wound back to fund the enhanced program?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:40): I have answered this question on a number of occasions but, clearly, the honourable member either cannot read the budget papers or is not actually interested.

This line of questioning arose from the recommendations in the Mullighan review. We were very open and upfront and said that we would not be putting new money into the expansion of that particular program and that we were not in a position to do so. However, it does have a recurrent budget of $1.5 million.

We were the first government in the state to introduce the program, and it was long overdue. The opposition did not go down that path, so clearly it did not care about rehabilitation in our prisons and did nothing in that area. The program has been running since 2005, so it is a bit rich for the opposition to suggest that we have done a backflip.

What the department has done, and what it does on a day-to-day basis, is be responsible for its own operations. So, in relation to the program at Mount Gambier prison, to which I assume the honourable member is referring, the department felt that it was more appropriate to actually run a core program at that prison than to transport those prisoners to Adelaide as it has done in the past. I can confirm that there has been no cutback. It is entirely up to the department as to where it runs its core and maintenance programs.

The Hon. S.G. Wade: So, they are cutting it into the community to fund the prison.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: They are not cutting it in the community. I do not dictate to the department where it runs its core or maintenance programs. The department will obviously look at the number of prisoners who are taking part and run its programs accordingly.

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