NSW Greens MLC Sylvia Hale took time out from her busy schedule to visit Wagga Wagga on Friday April 3.
Ms Hale was visiting Wagga in order to officially open Wagga Wagga Greens Councillor Ray Goodlass’ office. Cr. Goodlass’ office is located at 2/33 Fitzmaurice Street, Wagga Wagga. Cr. Goodlass’ decision to open a privately rented office broadly reflects the Greens’ commitment to open, accessible and transparent governance at a local level. Cr. Goodlass can be contacted on 0412 363 718
While in Wagga Ms Hale also spoke out about the relationship between the Global Expertise in Outsourcing (GEO) Group (formerly Australasian Correctional Management), which has a $20 million contract to operate Junee Correctional Centre, and donations made by GEO to the Australian Labor Party.
The GEO Group is a private prisons operator which has been at the centre of the debate about the privatisation of prisons in NSW. The GEO Group, then operating as Australasian Correctional Management (ACM), was responsible for operating Baxter, Curtin and Woomera Detention Centres. Gross violations of human rights against refugees are alleged to have occurred under ACMs watch.
Documents from the Electoral Funding Authority reveal the GEO Group is a major political donor in NSW. GEO has donated more than $80,000 to both the Liberal and Labor parties. These payments were made when GEO was operating Junee gaol and at a time when GEO was expressing an interest in running Cessnock and Parklea gaols.
The history of GEO may interest the new champion of privatisation, Prisons Minister and former secretary of Unions NSW John Robertson. “Robbo” replaced Michael Costa as Unions NSW boss and then succeeded him in the NSW Legislative Council. Now he is following in the former Treasurer’s footsteps by implementing the private management of gaols in flagrant opposition to NSW Labor Party policy. “Robbo” has shown that he is a master of political flip-flopery: it was Robertson who led the fight against the privatisation of the state’s electricity industry. “Robbo” is ably demonstrating, now that he is in parliament, that he is nothing more than a yes man for the whims and wishes of Labor pro-privatisation factional heavyweights Joe Tripodi and Eddie Obeid.
Ms Hale said she was astounded at the cash-strapped Government’s push to save money through cuts and privatisation. “No one knows when it will stop,” she said.
Ms Hale recently pointed to the case of two Pennsylvanian judges who pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from a private prison in return for doling out longer sentences as demonstrating the potential dangers of private prisons.
“The US case demonstrates that there are serious dangers of corruption that go with turning prisons into a lucrative private industry.” Ms Hale said.
“We have seen from overseas what happens when the profit motive is introduced into the justice system.” “Potentially lucrative new incentives for corruption are created; pressure is applied to cut costs, to reduce programs, staff numbers and safety levels for both inmates and staff.
“Money starts to flow between private companies, political parties and even judiciary, corrupting and distorting the justice system.”
Private prisons will not serve the best interests of the community or the rehabilitation prospects of the state’s prisoners. Private prisons will serve only the financial interests of the companies that run them. It will be in the best interests of companies such as GEO to have prisoners reoffend in order to meet quotas within gaols. The best interests of the community are served by the highly trained state-employed men and women who currently staff state run correctional centres in NSW.
The Australian Labor Party has yet again demonstrated that its policy formulation is held hostage by those companies which donate to it large sums of money. The Australian Labor Party sold its soul years ago. The ALP are now happy, it appears, to sell off democracy to the highest bidder.
