Prisoner access to health care
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:04): (758) My question is to the Minister for Corrections. Minister, how is granting convicted killer Alicia Schiller leave to receive IVF treatment reasonable?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:04): I thank Ms Crozier for her question and her interest in our adult corrections system. I want to express my concerns as well in relation to the reports that were raised today, and I should note that people should not necessarily believe everything they read, especially in relation to the details around these matters. I do want to extend my deepest sympathies in particular to the family and loved ones of the victim. Ms Crozier would be well aware that I cannot go into individual prisoners’ health issues in this place. It is not my practice to go into individual health matters because there are privacy laws around what we can and cannot discuss about individual prisoners, especially in a situation where prisoners have been named. What I will say is that when it comes to fertility treatments it would be my expectation that the welfare of any potential child would be front and centre of those considerations for healthcare providers. As the corrections minister, we are obliged to provide healthcare support, and that is reflective of a modern healthcare system.
In relation to what treatments and whether they are appropriate or necessary, there has been a court case in relation to IVF treatment. There is a 2010 case in which the Supreme Court determined that this is a medical treatment that is necessary and an essential medical treatment. So there is a court case, and I point that out to Ms Crozier, the case of Castles in 2010. You can go and search for it, if you like, online. That case gives insight into the court’s decision-making about the appropriateness of these matters. But with health treatment in particular these are not simple questions in terms of what is appropriate. They are medical questions in many regards. As the corrections minister, we obviously provide transportation to people to access medical care as needed, but in terms of whether that medical care is needed or appropriate is a medical question, and there are ethical questions there that medical experts need to answer. Obviously from my perspective I think I share many of the community’s concerns, and I have had a lot of people respond to me about this issue. I will say that I also share some of those concerns, but they are really ethical, medical questions that need to be answered by health professionals. The court case says Corrections Victoria has an obligation to provide access to health care, in particular for IVF. That is a specific case that I would point you to.
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:06): Minister, thank you for your response. Minister, there is a staff shortage at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre that has seen rolling lockdowns of inmates, so I ask: can you guarantee there will be no additional lockdowns to provide staff to escort a convicted killer to get IVF treatment?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:07): I thank Ms Crozier for her supplementary question. In relation to the lockdowns at Dame Phyllis Frost I can say that we actually have a very strong complement of staff at Dame Phyllis Frost. We have a system that is designed to accommodate up to 600 prisoners at Dame Phyllis Frost, and currently we have under 300 at that facility. In relation to those lockdowns I want to take this opportunity to thank the staff, who do an amazing job to make sure that the facility is secure and maintain everyone’s safety. Lockdowns for people in custody can be quite difficult. Corrections recently did receive feedback about these lockdowns, and I can say that there was a rostering issue that Corrections Victoria and the department of justice are working to resolve. It is a complex system, and from time to time mistakes are made and issues do arise. I have made it clear to the department that I expect the issues to be resolved with the rostering at Dame Phyllis Frost, because we have a strong complement of staff there.