Bail laws
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:36): (835) My question today is also to the Minister for Corrections. Victoria’s old bail laws prior to the recent reforms that were passed were described as a complete and unmitigated disaster, and the reforms that were passed were in part due to the death of Veronica Nelson. Many of your cabinet colleagues apologised to Veronica’s mother based on those discriminatory laws, and stakeholders have been very clear that what we do not need now is kneejerk reform that will cost more lives. With regard to the recent government announcements on a possible review of Victoria’s bail laws, as Minister for Corrections will you be advocating to the Premier that the bail review needs to implement the full recommendations of the Aboriginal deaths in custody royal commission, the coronial findings into the death of Veronica Nelson and those advocated for in the subsequent Poccum’s law?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:37): I thank Ms Copsey for her question and her interest in our bail laws and our Bail Act. I think this, although very cleverly worded, is very similar to a question that Mr Davis asked me a couple of sitting weeks ago. That reform that the Premier has announced of our justice settings is being led by the Attorney-General and the police minister in the other place, and I will obviously be supporting them and having ongoing conversations. Although you are inviting me to reveal some of those private conversations I am having, I will resist the temptation to do that. But what I will say is the Premier has been very clear that our focus is on community safety, ensuring that we have the settings right – that they reflect what is occurring in the community – and responding to what the community has been saying to the government, because community safety is a whole-of-government priority. That work is being led by the Attorney-General and the police minister. As Minister for Corrections I am interested in seeing the outcomes, and I will have some input into that process and that review.
From a corrections perspective, we made big announcements last year about the configuration of our system – the closure of the private prison at Port Phillip and also the closure of the almost 60-year-old Dhurringile Prison in the Shepparton region. They were quite drastic in terms of the make-up. We will be opening our new modern, state-of-the-art Western Plains prison later this year. What I can say is that we are making the best use of our best facilities, and we have the ability to scale up and down as required.
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:39): Minister, to your knowledge, were First Nations and legal specialist organisations consulted before the Premier announced the bail law review, and if not, how to your knowledge are they being meaningfully included and consulted in the review process now?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:39): I thank Ms Copsey for her supplementary question. As I said in my answer to Mr Davis on his previous question, we have a longstanding agreement, the Aboriginal justice agreement, with our Aboriginal community and partners – because they are not just stakeholders, they are partners in the justice space. As Minister for Corrections I have regular meetings with the Aboriginal Justice Caucus. In fact I had a meeting last week where they shared their feedback in relation to the Premier’s announced review. I was very clear with them as well that that review is being led by the Attorney-General and the police minister, but they did share their concerns about what that might entail. I know the Attorney-General has met with the Aboriginal Justice Caucus and heard their views, so they are involved in the consultation process; there are no outcomes. I look forward to the Attorney-General and police minister bringing these matters to cabinet, and on those matters I am sure that wherever it lands community safety will be at the heart of those reforms.