Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-18 Daily Xml

Contents

OFFICE FOR WOMEN

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question on the subject of the Office for Women budget.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Some five years ago the chairman of the Parole Board, Frances Nelson, described the Adelaide Women's Prison as a 'blot on civilised society'. Based on national trends, 81 per cent of the inmates there would have post traumatic stress disorder, 75 per cent would have been physically or sexually abused, 66 per cent would have hepatitis C, 39 per cent would have attempted suicide, 38 per cent would have drug-related problems, and they would have 10 times the normal rate of pap smear abnormalities. My questions are:

1. Is there any allocation from the Office for Women budget to assist these women?

2. Is the matter of the cancelling of the women's prison, as part of the prison's project, a subject for consideration at the Premier's Council for Women?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (14:28): I thank the honourable member for her most important questions. The responsibility for prisons lies with the Minister for Correctional Services. I am not responsible for that, but I am more than happy to refer the questions to the relevant minister in another place.

In relation to the health and drug issues that the honourable member raised, they come under the purview of a range of other ministers, including the Minister for Health as well as the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse. I am happy to refer those parts of the question to the relevant ministers.