28 October 1993 ASSEMBLY 1417

ADJOURNMENT Wednesday, 27 October 1993 ASSEMBLY 1413 services. It is an example of the government's focus been the victims of assault and sexual assault is a on individuals rather than on institutions. major service for women in that area, and is something the honourable member for Bentleigh has The honourable member for Bentleigh referred to supported in the past and continues to support. women's health services in her electorate. I was delighted that she accompanied me when I visited Mr McNAMARA (Minister for Corrections) - her electorate recently and opened an important The honourable member for Altona referred to mammography screening service at the Moorabbin statistics in relation to drug usage at Fairlea Prison campus of the Monash Medical Centre. compared with other correctional institutions. Mammography screening for women with breast cancer is a major initiative that has bipartisan From what I heard over the speaker in my room, I support. The government is acting on a understand the honourable member was asking Commonwealth program that was announced some whether the comment I made a month or so ago that years ago and which is now gathering momentum in Fairlea Prison had one of the highest rates of drug Victoria. use among Victorian prisons was correct. I advise the honourable member that I stand by that Breast cancer is the major cause of deaths among statement; the infonnation I have as of today on women between the ages of 49 and 64 years in drug usage throughout correctional institutions is Victoria. More than 700 women die of breast cancer based on the random testing the department is in Victoria every year. That is the equivalent of two undertaking. It is randomly testing approximately women a day, which is more than the road toll. A 5 per cent of inmates each week and the results screening mechanism must be put in place to find show a rate of drug usage of 6 per cent right across small cancers of the breast in the early stages so that the system. they can be treated. That service in the electorate represented by the honourable member for Recently the department conducted a urine analysis Bentleigh is worth while. test of all inmates at Fairlea and discovered a far higher incidence of positive drug tests than in any The honourable member also referred to infant and other institution. Some 12 of the 88 inmates at maternal health centres in the Bentleigh area. I Fairlea tested positive, which represented 14 per confirm what she knows, but what has not been cent of the prison's inmates. In addition, the sample properly understood is the fact that there is no taken from another eight inmates had traces of limitation on the number of visits that women can drugs but they were not at a level at which the make to an infant and maternal health centre. The inmates could have been charged or prosecuted. If funding being made available is for an average of one adds those figures, one discovers that 20 out of 6.75 hours. There is no constraint on the number of 88 inmates at Fairlea were recently using drugs, visits that mothers can make to infant and maternal which represents 22 per cent of all Fairlea inmates, health centres and there has been no reduction in compared with an average of 6 per cent for the rest funding to that program. The focus is on the of the prison system. maximum value that can be obtained from the service. The use of drugs in Fairlea is a serious matter. I stand by my earlier comments that the drug I have seen in advance the new booklet that will be problem in Fairlea is one of the worst in Victoria's given to all new mothers for them to take to the correctional institutions. We also have a specific infant and maternal health centres. It will spell out problem where some of the more violent offenders clearly the key areas in the development of children at Fairlea are standing over other inmates, and where mothers should take their babies and particularly those serving shorter prison sentences young children for assessment to ensure that their who are in prison for less serious offences. The development is progressing well. There is ongoing department has found ample evidence of those support for that program, and the booklet will refine inmates being intimidated and assaulted. They are and enhance that program. being intimidated in an attempt to use visitors as a vehicle for bringing drugs into the prison. While I was with the honourable member for Bentleigh visiting her electorate, I was also able to I am happy to provide to the honourable member visit the new premises for the Centre Against Sexual the infonnation the department has given me on this Assault that has been established in the Moorabbin matter. I hope all members of Parliament will take area. The work being done for women who have seriously the high levels of drug taking in Fairlea ADJOURNMENT 1414 ASSEMBLY Wednesday, 27 October 1993 and will support the government in the action it is distributed in the usual way to all regions. There taking to lower them. Many of the inmates come was nothing secret about it. There was no mark on it into the prison with drug problems and we know to indicate that it was confidential. It was an that, unless the cycle can be broken and they can be absolutely normal document that has been sent out taken off drugs while they are in prison, on their for many years to establish the need for school buses release they will revert to their former lifestyle and for the next calendar year so that the department will return to gaol. The recidivism rate among knows the required number and composition of the female prisoners is far higher than for males in penal school bus fleet each year. institutions. That happened every year under Labor. Each region A number of inmates at Fairlea are on their 11 th trip was requested to compile a list of the expectations to a female prison, which is a poor yardstick on for the coming year. There was nothing new or which to judge the performance of the institution. I secret about it. It was completely understandable. support the moves of the former Minister for The honourable member also claimed that funding Corrections to shut down Fairlea as a women's for school buses had been reduced by $5 million in prison. As the Treasurer said in his Budget speech, the Budget. the government will continue the exploration to facilitate the construction of a new women's Mr Batchelor - Untrue. It was the program. correctional facility, which is long overdue. I hope when the decision is announced it gains the support Mr BROWN - He now says it was the program. of all members of the House. The SPEAKER - Order! The Minister will ignore Mr BROWN (Minister for Public Transport) - interjections and address the Chair. The honourable member for Murray Valley raised an issue of concern to him that he said involved lies, Mr Batchelor interjected. deceit and misrepresentation. Mr BROWN - He now clarifies it to say that it is Mr Dollis - Unparliamentary! the program. Mr BROWN - It was not asked to be The SPEAKER - Order! I warn the honourable withdrawn. I can remember him using the terms member for Thomastown that he has raised the '1ies" and "untruths". That serious charge was matter and should hear the answer in silence. levelled at the honourable member for Thomastown, who has quickly gained a reputation in transport for Mr BROWN - He told the community via some getting it wrong. forms of media prepared to run the story that there would be $5 million less for school buses; he now There is a distinct difference between getting says the program was reduced by $5 million. His something wrong and moving out into the representation to the community was a blatant community with information the person knows is untruth. There is not $5 million less. different from what he or she represents it to be. The media advised me that the honourable member Mr BATCHELOR (Thomastown) - On a point of misrepresented it by saying that it was a secret order, Mr Speaker, the Minister for Public Transport document. True or false? is misrepresenting me. He is saying things that are untrue. He is attempting to quote from a press Mr Dollis - It was secret. release I issued but is doing so in a distorted way. I have the press release in front of me. Mr BROWN - There was nothing secret about it at all. The SPEAKER - Order! I direct the attention of the honourable member for Thomastown to the fact The SPEAKER - Order! The Minister will that there is no point of order thus far. If he claims to address the Chair. have been misrepresented, he has the remedy of raising it with the Speaker and making a statement Mr BROWN - The honourable member claimed to the House. Unless he can base his point of order that it was a secret government document. That is on the Standing Orders or on May, I will be unable why most of the media did not care even to give it to hear him. the time of day. It was a document that was ADJOURNMENT Wednesday, 27 October 1993 ASSEMBLY 1415 Mr BA TCHELOR - I will take your advice and eligibility and the government is committed to raise the matter with you later Mc Speaker. ensuring that children throughout Victoria have equal education opportunities.

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