There is no better example of the dysfunction of the previous Labor-Green Government than the fact they aren’t aware their Corrections Minister was involved in discussions with his interstate colleagues around the interstate transfer of prisoners for operational or national security reasons.
These discussions began at a national level during the term of the previous Government, yet apparently they were kept in the dark by their Cabinet colleague Nick McKim. It’s farcical that years after these discussions began between state and territory Ministers the Labor Party is only just becoming aware of the discussion.
As I indicated in response to a direct question on the subject on the weekend, if all states were to sign off on legislation enabling interstate transfers this could create another option for Tasmania in regards to the management of violent prisoners.
It would be a matter for the states and territories as a collective to progress legislation before Tasmania can consider transferring prisoners on operational grounds. However it is disappointing Labor would write off a national conversation about managing dangerous prisoners, a conversation which their Corrections Minister was involved in, as a smokescreen.
Should legislation be adopted nationally enabling such transfers, it would be fascinating to see which of their positions Labor would adopt. In the past three days they’ve gone from ‘it’s not necessary’ to ‘we’d consider all options’ to ‘it’s a smokescreen’.
Vanessa Goodwin, Minister for Corrections
