Segregation means ‘kept apart’

“Corrections Minister Damien O’Connor needs to explain how someone can be ‘segregated’ with four other people,” says National Party Justice and Corrections spokesman Simon Power.

“The Concise Oxford Dictionary says the definition of segregate is to ‘set apart or separate’. Yet Mr O’Connor says it’s normal procedure to segregate prisoners with others. That defies all logic.

“This bungling Minister is now trying to rewrite the English language in a bid to dig himself out of the latest botch up on his watch.

“However, nothing he says now can excuse the fact that he refused to resign after the Liam Ashley tragedy because he said he was determined to stay on and fix the system.

“How long will the Prime Minister continue to tolerate the gross underperformance of Mr O’Connor and his department?”

Mr Power is appalled by new revelations which have surfaced tonight about the latest prison van assault, with claims the victim was placed in a van with four others, including prisoners with assault convictions.

“This appears to have been a recipe for disaster, made worse because the victim of the latest van attack was obviously so worried for his safety he had asked to be separated from other prisoners.

“His wishes were ignored. There is no wiggle room for the Minister on this despite his best attempts to butcher the definition of what it means to be segregated.”

Ends

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