Greens spokesperson for Corrective Services and Health Hon Alison Xamon MLC has called on the Government to ensure its plan to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic extends to the state’s overcrowded prisons.
Hon Xamon said her questions in Parliament this week revealed Government run Hakea Prison was significantly understaffed including, notably, in health-related roles.
She said she was concerned to learn the prison had vacancies for two FTE clinical nurses, one FTE pharmacist, one FTE nurse practitioner and three FTE prisoner medical officers.
Greens spokesperson for Community Services and Mental Health Hon Alison Xamon MLC has today called on the Government to ensure financial support for the community sector is central to its response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Hon Xamon said it was crucial not-for-profit organisations could continue their work uninterrupted, particularly as demand for services was likely to grow as people’s level of need continued to grow.
Greens spokesperson for Corrective Services Hon Alison Xamon MLC has expressed concern about the state’s fledgling Custody Notification Service (CNS), following revelations that the service spoke to just 57% of Aboriginal people in custody, since it began operating in October 2019.
Hon Xamon said she revealed through questions in Parliament that the CNS received 7961 calls from WA Police between 2 October and 31 December 2019.
She said it was disappointing to learn that not only was the rate of contact so low, but more than a quarter of calls from police were missed.
Greens Spokesperson for Children and Young People Hon Alison Xamon MLC has called for an inquiry into the practice of strip-searching children, since she uncovered through Parliamentary questions on notice that WA Police strip-searched more than 1,450 young people under the age of 18 in 2018-19, including children as young as TEN years old, and teenagers who identify as trans.
Greens spokesperson for Integrity of Government and Electoral Affairs Hon Alison Xamon MLC has renewed her call for urgent donations reform in Western Australia, following the release of the Australian Electoral Commission’s Annual Donor Returns.
