Collins JudithTHIRD READINGSHon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Corrections): I move That the Bail (Drug and Alcohol Testing) Amendment Bill the Parole (Drug and Alcohol Testing) Amendment Bill the Sentencing (Drug and Alcohol Testing) Amendment Bill the Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) (Drug and Alcohol Testing) Amendment Bill and the Returning Offenders (Management and Information) (Drug and Alcohol Testing) Amendment Bill be now read a third time. This Government recognises the harm that drug and alcohol misuse can have on the community. Drug and alcohol use is a major driver of crime. Too many people are using substances at the time of their offending and too many offenders on community-based sentences and orders suffer from addiction issues. To discourage this courts may impose a condition of bail sentence or order to not use drugs and/or alcohol. The Parole Board may also specify that abstinence is a condition of release from prison or an extended supervision order. The enforcement of drug and alcohol conditions plays an important role in protecting public safety by ensuring that offenders and bailees can be held to account. However under the current legislation there is no clear authority for police or Corrections to test people with abstinence conditions for the presence of drugs or alcohol.This legislation addresses this gap by empowering Corrections and police to test people who are subject to drug and alcohol - abstinence conditions as part of their sentence or order. This will benefit the person being tested by deterring them from harmful substance abuse. It will also protect public safety by ensuring that agencies can hold people to account when they do breach their conditions. During the Committee of the whole House I tabled a Supplementary Order Paper that extended the testing regime to include returning offenders and provided for agencies to use an automated notification system to notify offenders of testing and clarified that an offender or defendant could be notified of their requirement to submit to testing via telephone or other electronic means. The Supplementary Order Paper also made minor technical changes to the legislation. I wish to thank members of the House for their cooperation in supporting this Supplementary Order Paper to ensure the legislation is fit for purpose and to ensure that the returning offenders regime is kept consistent with any changes made to the parole regime. The legislation allows the Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections and the Commissioner of Police to make rules related to testing methods and procedures. The rules must adhere to three broad principles that uphold the rights of people being tested. They must prescribe procedures that are no more intrusive than necessary ensure testing only occurs as often as necessary and afford as much privacy and dignity as practicable. The testing regime is expected to target the highest-risk people who are subject to abstinence orders and who pose a serious risk to public safety if they consume alcohol and drugs. The targeted approach aligns with international best practice that suggests that frequent testing of the highest-risk group is the most efficient means of detecting and deterring the use of drugs and alcohol. The Government recognises that we must do more than just hold offenders to account and we must address the underlying causes of criminal behaviour and break the cycle of offending. In accordance with the Government manifesto commitment Corrections has successfully obtained $8.6 million over 3 years to develop and deliver a tiered approach to drug and alcohol aftercare support. Corrections has also secured $2.1 million from the proceeds of crime fund to develop and trial targeted methamphetamine screening and treatment in prisons. These programmes will enable us to support offenders in prison and in the community to leave substance abuse behind and lead crime-free lives. This adds to the existing range of treatment options available which are very substantial and actually making a difference but we can do better which is why this legislation is here. To sum up and in conclusion this Government has committed to holding people to account but also to breaking the cycle of offending which is actually much more difficult than just holding people to account. This legislation will make an important contribution to these goals and will strengthen our ability to keep the public safe. And I would like to just put on the record again my thanks to the House for its support for this legislation. I commend the legislation to the House.