12 January 2009

Hargreaves feels the heat - prison timeline unveiled

| johnboy
Join the conversation
17

With costs rising, prisoners rioting, and corrections officers being hospitalised the Minister responsible, John Hargreaves has inquired of his department just what is going on and has now provided “details of further progress towards the commencement of operations” at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC). To the uninitiated this is what looking-glass land calls the prison or gaol.

Mr Hargreaves thinks it might be sorted by “late February/early March” if nothing else goes wrong.

UPDATED: The Liberals’ Jeremy Hanson is asking some hard questions about the broken promises leading up to this point.

    “Everyday another question arises about the mismanagement of this project and the Government’s attempts to mislead the community. I will therefore be calling for a committee inquiry into all of the circumstances surrounding the ongoing delays and related cost blow-outs.

    “I also find it remarkable that the Minister for Corrections, John Hargreaves, sat in the Chamber and allowed the Chief Minister to mislead the Assembly.

    “It begs the question, did John Hargreaves simply not understand the status of the commissioning of the AMC or was he happy to allow the Chief Minister to mislead the Assembly?”

    “I await the Chief Minister’s response.” Jeremy said.

Join the conversation

17
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
Gungahlin Al12:44 pm 27 Feb 09

So what exactly is wrong with the control systems in all the other prisons in Australia were inadequate to use, such that we had to go out and purchase some brand new unproven beta system??

But I guess that is the ACT way – as proven time and again by Defence. The innards of the Sea Sprites were good enough off the shelf, but the you beaut custiom alternative didn’t work. So we sell the shells to NZ who’ve been using the off-the-shelf units for years with no drama. And now these new submarines have to be customised too…

ABC are reporting that “The new jail at Hume may not be able to receive prisoners until December this year, according to documents obtained by the ACT Liberals through Freedom of Information (FOI) laws.”

Makes me wonder if they are paying staff to do nothing out there while the problems get fixed.

Maybe they could use the facility to house aged care patients while they sort out the security?

We are meant to get compensation from the builder, but this will involve taking them to court or some such, so we aren’t getting anything yet, and it will require real world type action from our govt to get any, so who knows?

I think they should rename it the Lawrence of Arabia Centre. (No Prisoners!! No Prisoners!!)

It’s a computer glitch, according to Mr Hargreaves. And one that is so complex that us plebs wouldn’t understand it.

Oh, and the opening in November was simply because, apparently, all of us Canberrans wanted to know when the construction phase was finished! Of course, it had nothing whatsoever to do with the election and even if it did, Mr Hargreaves was not responsible for it at that time anyway as he wasn’t the minister.

FFS….

Thumper, are you sure you’re not Hargreaves chief adviser????

regularbrowse said :

ABC News website says the prisoners due in mid-March at AMC pending the security system check ups.

So the hold-up isn’t really because the UN has to check that there are no sharp edges on any corners, that the floors aren’t uneven, and that all cells contain a 42in flat screen LCD HD TV, so that the inmate’s human rights aren’t infringed at all?

I think you’re all being a bit harsh on poor Hargreaves. He was interviewed today and explained to us that the ‘Opening’ held during the election campaign was to mark the ‘completion of the construction phase’ of the project.

Stay tuned for further opening ceremonies to mark the completion of the landscaping phase, the furnishing phase, official installation of the curtains and drapes etc.

When the place begins to actually accept prisoners, this will mark the completion of the bullshit phase.

.

Hmm, I doubt it. They need to keep at it, of course, but at the end of the day “Government infrastructure project runs over schedule” is neither unexpected nor particularly damaging.

caf, one Labor MLA says we are, another says we aren’t. What a bunch of tossers.

Hanson is onto a winner; the trouble is, his mob are so useless they won’t be able to make any of this stick.

“…and related cost blow-outs…” – hold on, I thought we were getting compensation from the prime contractor?

Perhaps Corrections could have another Open Day before AMC gets filled up with inmates. That would ne nice as I was out of town for the last one.

I’d quite like to see the art work near the Gymnasium.

regularbrowse said :

ABC News website says the prisoners due in mid-March at AMC pending the security system check ups.

So the jail ‘officially’ opened in September (during the ACT election campaign?) but won’t be taking prisoners until March. That’s six months.

Will there be another opening when the inmates actually arrive?

will they take any prisoners?

regularbrowse4:56 pm 12 Jan 09

ABC News website says the prisoners due in mid-March at AMC pending the security system check ups.

So the jail ‘officially’ opened in September (during the ACT election campaign?) but won’t be taking prisoners until March. That’s six months.

Will there be another opening when the inmates actually arrive?

What else could go wrong!

: D

Yeah, but have you read all the nice things those public housing tenants have said about Housing ACT?????

Granny said :

If nothing else goes wrong?!

As if anything else could go wrong????

If nothing else goes wrong?!

Wide Boy Jake1:34 pm 12 Jan 09

Stanhope’s prison without prisoners is a lot like Yes Minister’s hospital without patients (and a massive bureaucracy keeping it going).

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.