Budget Estimates: 6000 awaiting blue cards as they work with kids
PUBLIC tenders to operate the two privately run prisons in Queensland have been pulled following criticisms over their management and the treatment of staff there.
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PUBLIC tenders to operate the two privately run prisons in Queensland have been pulled after the state’s corruption watchdog advised the State Government to do so.
Corrections Minister Mark Ryan announced the change during a parliamentary estimates hearing this afternoon, saying he wanted to leave the door open to all options.
The American-based GEO group currently run the high-risk Arthur Gorrie correctional centre and UK-based SERCO runs Southern Queensland, near Gatton, however both have been recently criticised for their management and treatment of staff.
The Crime and Corruption Commission are currently investigating all corrections facilities through their taskforce Flaxton which is reviewing “possible systematic issues” and finding any possible corruption risks.
Mr Ryan gave no timeline on how long he expected the tenders to be offline for.
“... because the government has been considering the best operating models for prisons in Queensland, we want to make the best decision, one that reflects recent advice from the Crime and Corruption Commission,” he said.
“We want to leave the door open to all options and work with all stakeholders to achieve the best outcome.”
MORE THAN 6000 WORKING WITHOUT BLUE CARD
MORE than 6000 people are working in fields where they need a blue card as they await the outcome of their applications, Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath has revealed.
In Budget Estimates hearings today Ms D’Ath was asked by the Opposition how many people were working with children as they waited for their blue card application to be finalised.
The Attorney-General revealed 6471 people were in paid employment who had applied for a card.
“All these persons are monitored by the Queensland Police Service for changes in their criminal history while their applications are pending,” she said.
The LNP also quizzed Ms D’Ath on the status of Labor’s “no card, no start” policy.
She said work was under way.
IN LIMBO BEFORE DEVELOPER BAN
QUEENSLAND political parties and donors remain in limbo, with a developer donation ban yet to get a starting date.
Acting Queensland Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen told a Budget Estimates hearing the commission was preparing for the new laws.
“We haven’t got a commencement date yet,” he told the committee.
The retrospective changes make it illegal for political parties and candidates on a state and federal level to accept donations from developers.
It is also illegal for a developer to donate.
The laws have been backdated to last October, when the Labor Government first flagged them in the lead-up to the November 25 state election.
Political parties and donors are in a holding pattern as they wait for the ECQ to rule on who will be captured by the ban.
Any prohibited donations received since October must be paid back, with parties and donors risking fines and potentially jail time if they do not comply.
The Courier-Mail revealed earlier this month the LNP was challenging the changes in the High Court.
Mr Vidgen said he expected the commission would be ready to consult with political parties on the laws within the next six weeks.
“The legislation hasn’t commenced yet, so we are working through implementation activities to ensure the commission is well positioned when the legislation does commence,” he told the hearing today.
“At the moment we’re going through a range of initiatives in terms of getting some legal clarity around some of the definitions.
“We are working through a range of internal procedures with regards to information which we need to communicate to political parties and relevant interested parties before the legislation does commence.”
NOTORIOUS BIKIES JOINS THREAT LIST
ONE of the world’s “fiercest” bikie gangs is the latest to be declared a threat to Queensland by the State Government.
Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath announced in Budget Estimates this morning that the Mongrel Mob, a gang out of New Zealand, is the latest to be declared an identified organisation under the government’s anti-bikie laws.
It comes after Ms D’Ath moved to declare the Satudurah gang last month.
Ms D’Ath said the Mongrel Mob was one of the world’s “fiercest” gangs and the declaration would stop the gang establishing a foothold in Queensland.
It means the gang will be subject to offences like consorting and its colours will be banned in all public places.
“The Police Commissioner has advised there is evidence of Mongrel Mob activity in Queensland and we are acting to prevent it from establishing a foothold in this state,” Ms D’Ath said.
“This is an organisation with the attributes of an outlaw motorcycle gang with violent initiation processes, Nazi insignia and motto and members who outside Queensland have been involved in murder, armed robberies, extortion, home invasion, firearms and drug offences.”
It brings to 28 the number of gangs declared under Labor’s laws.
The Opposition, however, fired back, issuing a release alleging bikies were “back in business” under Labor’s laws.
“Official answers from Police Minister Mark Ryan to Liberal National Party questions on notice this morning have revealed of 67 bikies currently charged and awaiting trial, 57 have been released back into the community on bail,” the statement read.
“Police believe there are still 700 patched Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Members in Queensland.”
While 800 ‘consorting issues’ had been issued over the last two financial years, just one person had so far been prosecuted of habitually consorting, the figures showed.
Opposition police spokesman Trevor Watts criticised the Government for only acting now when there were reports two years ago that the gang had a presence in Queensland.
“Staggering it has taken Labor so long to act,” he said in a statement.
“This is another demonstration of Labor being soft on crime and failing to keep Queenslanders safe.
“This along with today’s QONs revelations, clearly show the bikies are back better than ever under Labor.”
DRUGS RIFE IN PRISONS
PRISONERS are getting high on a range of illicit drugs, with more than 1500 testing positive in jail within the last year, it has been revealed.
A parliamentary estimates questions on notice has revealed the drug of choice for prisoners is the opium based Buprenorphine, which can be produced in small clear strips, making it easier to smuggle inside the prison.
From slightly more than 10,000 random and targeted tests, 1336 returned a positive result for the drug.
Other illicit drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, morphine and ecstasy were also detected in the results.
Over 15 per cent of drug tests taken returned a positive sample, the figures reveal.
Police and Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said random weekly testing was taking place inside prisons in an attempt to crack down on drug use.
“ Prisoners are selected for this type of drug testing on a random basis through the generation of a weekly listing using an endorsed selection process,” he said.
“The Palaszczuk Government has zero tolerance for drugs in prison.
“Barrier controls, searches, engagement in drug education and intervention programs, intelligence information and regular targeted and random drug testing are among the strategies used to keep drugs out of prisons.
“Should a prisoner return a positive drug test or fail to provide a sample, swift action is taken.”
The Courier-Mail has previously revealed the huge markup that is placed on Buprenorphine within prisons with a packet of strips retailing for around $15-$18 in public but selling for up to $200 for one strip inside the prison community.
NO DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE MARK ALGIE’S APPOINTMENT
CABINET did not undertake due diligence until after approving the appointment of Mark Algie to the board of Energy Queensland.
The revelation was made during the State Government’s Estimates hearing this morning after Opposition frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie asked the Crime and Corruption Commission what concerns they had regarding Mr Algie’s appointment.
It comes after it was revealed former Energy Minister Mark Bailey forwarded the Electrical Trades Union’s email containing Mr Algie’s resume to his then chief of staff in September 2016.
CCC chairman Alan MacSporran said while the watchdog determined there was no corrupt conduct as there were no “guidelines or protocols or benchmarks” to compare the process, due diligence was undertaken after Mr Algie’s appointment.
“While there appeared to be an EOI process which had a fixed term to run, which had expired before the resume of Mr Algie was forwarded by Mr Bailey to his chief of staff and then very soon after that Cabinet approved the appointment to the board,” he said.
“More over after the appointment was approved by Cabinet there was due diligence carried out the following day, one would think that would be the wrong order of things.
“While there was no corrupt conduct, the process lacked transparency and accountability in our view and we’ve written to the Under-Treasurer.”
Mr MacSporran said the CCC had not yet received a response back from the government.
“No we haven’t yet but bear in mind it’s a recent correspondence. We are waiting for a response,” he said
BLEIJIE CHANNELS HOUSE OF CARDS CHARACTER
LEADER of Opposition Business Jarrod Bleijie is causing a stir in Budget Estimates with his choice of House of Cards cufflinks.
Mr Bleijie is appearing before the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee where he has been questioning Crime and Corruption Chair Alan Macsporran and Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath.
Mr Bleijie’s cufflinks read F and U and were worn by fictional House of Cards character Frank Underwood.
LNP frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie’s cuff links have come under fire after Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath slammed his choice of accessories as inappropriate and appalling.
“It has been confirmed that the member for Kawana was wearing during the committee, cuff links with the letters F and U on them across his arms in a fashion that was clearly obvious to the witnesses of the committee,” she said.
“This is inappropriate behaviour and potentially interference or intimidation of a witness before this committee and I’ll be writing to the chairperson and the Speaker regarding this matter.”
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