The Liberals’ commitment to closing Ashley Youth Detention Centre has looked shaky for a long time, but it’s under more of a cloud than ever after responses made by the Premier and Minister for Children in Parliament.
Ever since the State Government announced their intention to close AYDC the Greens have pushed them to invest the funds needed to get on with the job and meet their own closure deadlines. They haven’t done so, and three years later there’s been very little progress made.
The Commission of Inquiry wrapped up its work early to make sure AYDC could be closed urgently. They even called out Minister Roger Jaensch by name, warning that any delays would be a major issue. Despite that, Minister Jaensch has continued to drag his feet, and now can’t even provide any timeframe for the centre’s closure.
The Liberals should be doing everything they can to close Ashley, and to reduce the number of children at the centre. They are not. We’re concerned this lack of commitment to urgent closure will slide over time towards walking away from closure altogether.
When it comes to closing Ashley, the Greens have consistently echoed the calls of advocates, experts, and the COI. Rather than listening to these voices, the Minister has now resorted to attacking us for raising concerns. It’s a shameful response to a gravely serious issue.
Rather than making excuses and lashing out with attacks, the Liberals should just do the right thing. That means a strong commitment to closing Ashley urgently, and backing that commitment with the resources required to get the job done.
