Garrett David: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Garrett David: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:653;Page:2442] 
DAVID GARRETT (ACT) 
: 
 I understand that this debate is supposed to be a financial review debate; it seemed to be about anything but during the speech from the previous speaker Clayton Cosgrove. 
I pay tribute to the Minister of Corrections Judith Collins for her willingness to look at different options in order to save the taxpayer money in this difficult time which I understand is what this debate is meant to be about. I applaud her confirmation that we have seen the end of underfloor heating plasma TVs and other luxuries for prisons and prisoners. 
Mahatma Gandhi once said that a civilisation or society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable people. The members over the other side may be very surprised to hear that I applaud that statement and agree with it. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: Would you repeat that? 
DAVID GARRETT 
: I will repeat it. Mahatma Gandhi once said that a civilisation or society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable people. In my view the most vulnerable people are the hard-working mums dads and pensioners who have worked all their lives—the former being taxed the latter having been taxed—to fund hotel-style facilities for the scum of our society. Getting rid of those luxuries will save taxpayers millions of dollars and more important will send a message to criminals that their lawbreaking will no longer be rewarded by a cushy year or two in jail—and that is only if they already have a lengthy record. 
I also applaud the Minister for her initiative in introducing prefabricated prisons at a cost of about half what we have been spending and without $3 million sculptures for example signifying spiritual rebirth or some such nonsense one of which I understand is at a recently built prison. Prefab prisons are currently in place in many countries around the world and they operate successfully when measured on how many escapes they have and cheaply. 
Under the previous Labour Government prison beds cost approximately $643000 each. That is enough for three homes per bed. Prefab prisons will cost half that and that is still too high. Further luxuries can be cut and further savings can be made. 
I read with much interest a recent report about the Idaho State Correctional Institution. It is a prison that holds some 1500 inmates. There has never been an escape from that prison in 20 years—not one escape. Why is that? Does it have additional electric fences and guard towers manned by dozens of armed guards? Does it have state-of-the-art expensive laser or motion detector systems? Well no it does not. It has several secret weapons three of them called Cookie Bongo and Chi Chi. They are dogs. They are German Shepherds and Rottweilers that patrol the space between the inner and outer fences. Not surprisingly inmates are somewhat wary of scaling or even going anywhere near those fences. 
The cost of that programme for 36 dogs is $100000 a year including food and veterinary care. It saves hundreds of thousands of dollars for the people of Idaho and it has a 100 percent success rate with a reduced risk to the public. From my knowledge of the Minister in the short time I have been here I am sure she will be very interested in the further information I can provide her with on that programme. It is a very common-sense and cost-effective approach to the corrections service. I am very hopeful that with the Minister’s vision more savings can be made and I look forward to seeing them. Thank you.