Wednesday, 18 October 2023

Ministers statements: age of criminal responsibility

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:47): I rise to update the house on the progress in the development of an alternative service model to support raising the age of criminal responsibility. We announced in April this year that Victoria will be the first state to raise the age, and we will do so in two stages. The first will raise the age from 10 to 12 years by the end of 2024. Further reforms will raise the age to 14 years, with exceptions for certain serious crimes and subject to the development of an alternative service model.

To support this work the Allan Labor government has appointed an independent review panel made up of five experts. The panel’s role will be to advise on the design, development and implementation of an alternative service model for children aged 12 and 13 years who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The panel will be chaired by Patricia Faulkner. Patricia has substantial public sector and community service delivery experience, including as a former secretary of Victoria’s Department of Human Services, as deputy commissioner of the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence and as chair of Jesuit Social Services. Other members of the panel are Andrew Crisp, who was until recently Victoria’s emergency management commissioner and prior to that had a distinguished 40-year career with Victoria Police, including as regional operations deputy commissioner; Andrew Jackomos, a proud Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man, who was the inaugural commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people and special adviser to the government for Aboriginal self-determination; Father Joseph Caddy, who is vicar-general of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and formerly was chief executive officer of CatholicCare – Father Joe has significant experience on government advisory boards and committees, with a focus on social policy and services, including prison ministry and youth justice; and finally Lisa Ward, who is the deputy chair of Victoria’s Sentencing Advisory Council and director of the Victorian association for care and resettlement of offenders, and she has extensive advisory experience, including on the Adult Parole Board of Victoria, the women’s correctional advisory council of Victoria and the child death review committee of Victoria.

The Allan Labor government is supporting children, young people and their families to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. Supporting at-risk children and their families, the alternative service model will consider a range of early interventions and rehabilitative supports in order to help children and young people grow up safe, connected and supported.

David Davis: On a point of order, President, before we move to constituency questions, did you want to deal with the issue of questions that were not answered, or are you going to do that at the end?

The PRESIDENT: If you have got a point of order, do it now.

David Davis: The first question I asked concerning water and capital repatriations – the initial question – was not answered. The minister answered about dividends.

The PRESIDENT: I am happy to review that, Mr Davis, and get back to you.

David Davis: Thank you. I think it was an innocent point, just answered about the wrong matter.

The PRESIDENT: I will review that and get back to the chamber. I believe the minister was responsive to the question at the time.