Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Ludwig, representing the Attorney-General and the Minister for Justice, and it is about the unprecedented growth in Australia's remand population over the last 30 years, which was about one in 10 in the early 1980s and is now more like one in four. Given that the number of people on remand in my home state of South Australia is even higher, at 32 per cent or one in three prisoners, can the minister please tell me: how is the Attorney-General's Department working with the states and territories to develop policy options for reducing the large number of prisoners held on remand across the country? In particular, has the Justice Reinvestment Working Group, which sits under the National Justice CEOs Group, considered or made any recommendations about addressing the remand situation as a cost-effective means of reducing overall prison populations in Australia?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wright for her question. As Senator Wright correctly identified at the outset, this is primarily a matter that is a state issue. Of course, remand is one of the matters that falls directly within state and territory jurisdictions, including in the types of court action that are taken. I can add that if the meeting of the Attorneys-General is able to provide any additional information, I will seek that from the Attorney-General. In terms of addressing the matter of the over-representation of Indigenous Australians in the criminal justice system, Indigenous rates of imprisonment are influenced by complex interactions of Indigenous disadvantage. Ms Macklin is working through closing the gap to improve those issues that sometimes lead to incarceration rates being increased within Indigenous populations, such as the standard of living, employment levels and literacy and numeracy. More importantly, getting back to the primary issue of remand and the opportunity for the Attorney-General to contribute to working with state and territory governments on those issues, it would be better that I seek further and better particulars from the Attorney-General as to the nature of work in that field.

Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for the answer. Given the clear human rights implications of large numbers of Australians being held on remand, many of whom will ultimately be found not guilty, can you please provide an update on the progress of the national justice CEOs working group on justice reinvestment in working with the Australian Bureau of Statistics to improve national corrections datasets and in particular national prisoner and offence data?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wright for her supplementary question. Having examined the various briefs, I think that I would be at a stretch to detail an answer to so specific a question. On that basis, it would be far better for me to take the matter on notice and ask the Attorney-General whether or not she can contribute an answer to the question that has been asked by Senator Wright, which goes to some very narrow issues and the role that the Commonwealth plays in this field.

Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I thank the minister for taking that question on notice. One of the key reasons people are held on remand is the lack of stable accommodation that they can return to. That particularly affects the most disadvantaged in our society, the homeless and Indigenous Australians. Is the Attorney-General's Department working with FaHCSIA to develop a bail hostel pilot project that would provide supported accommodation for such people who are not considered a flight risk and for whom the police do not oppose bail?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wright for her second supplementary question. Much of the question goes to what I would regard as state issues. States would work through their various community departments to assist those people who have been remanded in custody or have experienced a term of imprisonment and then seek accommodation. State and territory governments have a range of assistance for those people. It is a question that should be directed to state and territory governments. To the extent that the Attorney-General can provide additional information in respect of that particular question, I will seek that additional information. In addition to that, I would point out that this government has a separate housing minister who is interested in this field. (Time expired)