Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Let's speak frankly: the former Safer Communities Fund program for early intervention for high-risk youth became discredited due to the misuse—some even say rorting—of public funds by the previous government, those opposite. But don't take my word for it. The Australian National Audit Office found that the first five rounds of grants under this program were only 'partly effective and partly consistent with the Commonwealth grant rules and guidelines' and also stated:

Funding decisions were not appropriately informed by departmental briefings and, for the majority of decisions, the basis for the decisions was not clearly recorded.

I wonder why? They go on:

Applications were not assessed fully in accordance with the guidelines … 54% of funding decisions did not have a clear basis for the decision recorded.

The previous speaker, the member for La Trobe, continues to push a program that he was personally responsible for misusing. The member for La Trobe hand-picked projects that scored lower than projects with higher scores that had been assessed on their merit. The member for La Trobe has even conceded to 'personally intervening in the selection process'.

Our government, the Albanese government, is a government of integrity. We are providing grant programs that meet the needs of local communities, not Liberal candidates. What is disappointing about the former government's treatment of the Safer Communities Fund program is that there were many incredible organisations doing amazing work to contribute to strengthening community safety. We are working with those organisations. We respect grant processes and we are ensuring that grants programs are transparent and merit based.

Community safety is a priority for our government. We have committed more than $182 million from the Attorney-General's portfolio to improve community safety and security across Australia through community-based crime prevention and justice reinvestment initiatives. Justice reinvestment is a key element in addressing the causes of crime in my electorate and in the Northern Territory. More than 30 years after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, First Nations people remain overrepresented at every point in the criminal justice system. The Australian government is committed to pursuing meaningful change by investing in place based initiatives, led and implemented by First Nations communities and organisations, to help turn the tide of incarceration and deaths in custody.

Across the Northern Territory, we are seeing these initiatives being developed in Maningrida, Groote Eylandt, Katherine and Central Australia. I have met with local organisations in Darwin and Palmerston to drive the process and develop a range of elements to address the causes of crime. Work continues on a youth hub near my electorate office in Darwin. That represents one of the components of our response, working in partnership with the NT government and community organisations. Indeed, it was my No. 1 priority in the previous term to make sure that the funding was there and allocated to address these issues. The Albanese government is committed to supporting local communities to strengthen community safety, to provide alternative pathways for young people who are at risk of being engaged in criminal and antisocial behaviour and to support activities aimed at improving the engagement of at-risk young people in education and work-ready programs, decreasing antisocial behaviour or engagement in criminal activity and increasing positive community and family engagement.

Our government recognises the need for national coordination and collaboration on law enforcement matters. The Police Ministers Council, comprising police ministers from every state and territory, has been re-established. It provides a forum for national coordination and collaboration to achieve improved social policy outcomes and ensure the safety and security of Australians. This is a forum focused on achieving real, tangible outcomes to keep the community safe. Indeed, it was critical in progressing work on the National Firearms Register, which has been a significant improvement in the work of keeping our people safe.

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