Simon Power MP
National Party Justice & Corrections Spokesman

19 June 2008

Missing file just the latest Corrections blunder

Corrections Minister Phil Goff must explain how a file containing personal information on high-risk offenders has gone missing, says National's Justice & Corrections spokesman, Simon Power.

"This is very serious.

"If the Corrections Department is not capable of managing a file, how can the public have any confidence that it can manage high-risk offenders?

"This is the same week it was revealed one of our worst child sex offenders had been paroled to live next to a primary school and when Corrections came in for scathing criticism from the Coroner over the death of Karl Kuchenbecker.

"How can you put your complete trust in a department with a record like that?

"We need some answers from the Minister as to how this file could go missing and how it will be prevented from recurring.

"However, I fear that no amount of explaining will dispel the perception that this is a department with a culture that not only tolerates frequent mistakes, but seeks to deny responsibility even in the face of overwhelming evidence - as happened over the death of Mr Kuchenbecker."

ENDS

© Scoop Media