2015-12-02
“Today I withdrew a motion in the Senate I have had on the notice paper for some weeks calling for the Government to provide full funding for the Custody Notification Service (CNS) that operates in New South Wales (NSW).
“This was in response to Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion committing $1.8 million to ensure certainty for the service that has been integral to stopping deaths in custody in the State.
“The CNS has been hugely successful since its introduction to NSW in 2000, it ensures mandatory notification to an Aboriginal legal service when an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person is taken into custody.
“I’m glad these discussions have resulted in an excellent outcome. I look forward to seeing the great work of the NSW CNS into the future”.
The withdrawn motion reads:
929 Senator Siewert: To move—That the Senate—
(a) notes:
(i) the vital nature of the Custody Notification Service that operates in New South Wales,
(ii) that the service will struggle to continue to provide the essential life line to the Aboriginal community to the extent necessary after 31 December 2015, and
(iii) that the scheme is effective, cost-efficient, and beneficial for all involved, including police;
(b) acknowledges that, since its inception in 2000 as a result of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, there have been no Aboriginal deaths in police cell custody in New South Wales or the Australian Capital Territory; and
(c) urges:
(i) the Federal Government to provide the full funding plus consumer price index increases on a triennial basis to ensure this essential service can continue to save lives, and
(ii) state and territory governments to follow the Australian Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited model and implement similar programs and services in each state and territory.
Notice of motion altered on 10 November 2015 pursuant to standing