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The Hon. GREG DONNELLY: My question is addressed to the Minister for Justice. Will the Minister advise the House of what the impact could have been had the Opposition's attempts to block the recent lifetime supervision legislation been successful?
The Hon. Melinda Pavey: Here comes grandpa!
The Hon. TONY KELLY: Thank you. That is in Hansard now.
The Hon. John Ryan: Point of order: I suspect it is likely that the Minister for Justice is about to reflect on a vote of the Legislative Council. If that is the case, I do not think the question is in order.
The Hon. Michael Costa: To the point of order: The Minister for Justice had not even commenced his reply. How can the Hon. John Ryan take a point of order on him?
The PRESIDENT: Order! I will not listen to anyone until there is silence.
The Hon. Greg Pearce: The Treasurer is correct: The Minister for Justice had not commenced his answer. However, the point of order related to the validity of the question, which was out of order in that it reflected on a decision of the House and contained argument and imputations.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The standing orders state that a question, indeed debate, must not reflect on a decision of the House. The question did not reflect on a decision of the House; it referred to what might have happened but for a decision of the House. The question is in order.
The Hon. TONY KELLY: I thank the Hon. Greg Donnelly for his question. Last Thursday the Government successfully introduced laws for the lifetime supervision of those on lifetime parole. A life parolee is a person originally sentenced to life imprisonment who has had his or her sentence redetermined under the former Coalition Government's "truth in sentencing" legislation. There are presently four lifetime parolees in New South Wales, including convicted child killer John Lewthwaite. In addition, there are more than 20 offenders still in lifetime custody with redetermined sentences involving life parole.
The community expects that if offenders are on lifetime parole they will be supervised for life. Under the new laws, offenders will have to report regularly to a probation and parole officer, reside at an approved address and be subject to other conditions, such as drug and alcohol testing and psychological counselling. The Commissioner for Corrective Services will also be able to impose additional supervision obligations, such as electronic monitoring, in order to complement the conditions imposed by the State Parole Authority. Without these amendments, offenders such as Lewthwaite could end up back in the community unsupervised and unmonitored following their release from custody.
These are tough, fair and sensible measures to ensure the safety of our community—tough, fair and sensible measures that some Opposition members in this place tried to oppose. Last Thursday evening the Hon. Catherine Cusack and her colleague the Hon. John Ryan went out of their way to try to delay the bill becoming law. Yet the very next morning the current Leader of the Opposition—and I am referring not to the Hon. David Clarke but to Peter Debnam—welcomed these changes on Sydney radio. Is Mr Debnam the Leader of the Opposition or not? Are the wets of his party now openly challenging his direction in protest at the heat they are feeling from the blowtorch of the Hon. David Clarke? Once again it appears the ability of the Opposition to form sensible and cohesive policies is being undermined by its internal factional fighting.
The PRESIDENT: Order! I call the Hon. Eric Roozendaal to order for the first time. I call the Hon. Catherine Cusack to order for the first time.
The Hon. TONY KELLY: These laws are designed to ensure the safety of the community, and whilst the Opposition delays, the Iemma Government makes no apologies for getting on with the job.