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Budget gives $950 million boost for justice
Budget gives $950 million boost for justice
Budget 2009 provides more than $950 million over the next four years for significant initiatives across the justice sector.
“The Government’s first priority was public safety and cracking down on violent crime,” Justice Minister Simon Power says.
“Budget 2009 also takes some first steps in addressing funding gaps that have widened in recent years, leaving agencies across the justice sector without the capacity to meet steadily increasing workloads.”
The Budget funding over the next four years includes $700.7 million in operating funding and $255.7 million in capital funding.
This will pay for initiatives
to combat violent crime, protect the public, and address
widening funding gaps. These initiatives
include:
In addition, there is $17.1 million in
operating funding in 2009/10 to maintain access to justice
services through community law centres and legal aid.
Mr
Power says the most urgent needs in the sector have been
addressed.
“This Budget will certainly help improve the sector’s response to criminal offending, although that is not the government’s ultimate objective.
“Too many governments have focused on the prison van at the bottom of the cliff. It's time to address the underlying drivers of crime, rather than just the criminal justice system's response to it.
“We took the first steps towards this new approach with the Drivers of Crime Ministerial Meeting held in April.
"The benefits of that approach may be long term, but they will be significant, resulting in less crime, safer communities, and fewer victims," Mr Power says.
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