The State Government’s recent backflips
Recently, we have seen embarrassing policy reversals which have plagued the highly unpopular State Labor Government.
The New South Wales Government announced its revised plans to privatise two state prisons. In NSW Parliament, Minister for Corrective Services, John Robertson announced that Cessnock Correctional Centre would remain in public ownership due to economic uncertainty in the region and its negative ramifications on the local Cessnock economy. According to the Minister of Corrective Services, community concerns in the area and the recent closure of the Pacific Brands factory led to the decision to retain the prison.
Rev the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes has opposed the privatisation of the State’s prisons since the NSW Government announced “The Way Forward” reforms. The administration of the criminal justice system should remain in public ownership. The prison system is a core function of a democratic government. Government must continue to have the ultimate responsibility and liability for those incarcerated as well as those working within the prison system.
On 25 March, Dr Moyes put the pressure on the Minister for Corrective Services and the architect of prison reform when he asked the following question in Parliament:
“My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Corrective Services. Is the Minister aware that the unemployment level in Cessnock is currently at 7 per cent, compared to the New South Wales unemployment average of 4.2 per cent? Is the Minister aware that the Cessnock Local Government Association is the most disadvantaged local government association when compared to neighbouring councils in the Hunter region and that this situation has been recently exacerbated by the announcement by Pacific Brands to close down its Cessnock factory?
In particular, is the Minister aware that a high percentage of staff at the Cessnock Correctional Centre are approaching retirement age and that the correctional officers have a high average length of service? Given the proposed plans to privatise the Cessnock Correctional Centre, will the Minister give assurances that correctional officers who will not be transferred to the new private facility will be given adequate training for new employment and that strategic policies focusing on the creation of jobs will be established to develop the local economy of Cessnock?”
However, the privatisation of Parklea Correctional Centre will proceed, with five private sector tenderers shortlisted to take over the prison management and operations. We have written extensively on this issue. Please click on the articles for further reading: Parliamentary Inquiry – The Privatisation of Prisons and Prison-Related Services, and Plans to Privatise our Prisons – Another Agenda, Same Spin.
On another note, last week the NSW Government blocked a development proposal to build 25 luxury houses at a site owned by Unions NSW in the national park at Pittwater and put the whole area on the State Heritage Register.
Minister for Planning Kristina Keneally refused the application to subdivide the site to allow the building of McMansions because she was concerned about the plan to dump huge quantities of fill onto the site to build houses on low-lying land around a creek prone to flooding.
Dr Gordon Moyes was strongly opposed to further development in Currawong. We have been alerting our readers on this issue for some time. Last year, Dr Moyes supported the Notice of Motion raised by Sylvia Hale to recognise Currawong Beach to be a heritage site. Please click on the articles for further reading: Currawong Beach Notice of Motion, Dr Moyes Supports Legal Challenge to Planning Minister, Dr Moyes Challenges Minister’s Currawong Development Approval. Other Members of the Crossbench, except the Greens, refused to support our position on Currawong and instead supported the interests of property developers who paid $1 million to Unions NSW.
Next challenge: Stop the sale of land in Hurlstone Agricultural High School from being sold off to residential and commercial developers. Let us know your thoughts on this issue.