Ms BADGER question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Premier, your government’s Youth Justice Blueprint and the commission of inquiry recommendations both emphasise the need to increase diversion from the youth justice system, yet under your watch, diversions for youth offenders have decreased from 54 to 36 per cent. Not content with this abysmal record, your government has established Strike Force in the South and Task Force in the North, both targeting youth offenders.
Yesterday, the police proudly issued a media statement outlining the work of Task Force Raven, who arrested a 17-year-old. The statement said the youth will be proceeded against by summons for possessing and consuming liquor in a public place. It is an incredibly heavy‑handed approach, especially for an action that I would wager some of this parliament may well have actioned in their youth. Given the critical need to divert youth away from the youth justice system, do you think this low-level offending needs a dedicated, expensive task force response?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, what we all want in youth justice commitment, investment and outcome is for better outcomes for our young people. We want to ensure that our young people, should they come onto the wrong side of the law, are able to be supported to be productive members of our community. That is why we have a minister for Rehabilitation, and why my commitment to reducing recidivism is a very strong commitment. That is why we need a better youth justice system, which I commend minister Jaensch on, that ensures our young people are supported to be productive members of our community.
I am not aware of the circumstances that you say, but we also need to ensure that our community is safe. Community safety is essential.
Mr Bayley – Consuming alcohol on the street?
Dr Woodruff – This is not what the commission of inquiry recommended we do.
The SPEAKER – Members on my left.
Mr ROCKLIFF – It is about providing balance and ensuring that our community is safe. That is what we will continue to do in supporting our youth in implementing a comprehensive yet therapeutic youth justice system, and also ensuring we have the resources of our police service on the ground to ensure that other law-abiding citizens can go about their day and not only feel safe, but be safe.
Dr Woodruff – But there is meant to be diversion.
The SPEAKER – Leader of the Greens.
