The Sydney Morning Herald U-turn on sentencing branded a disgrace Date: 10/07/2000 By MIKE SECCOMBE The Northern Territory Government's breach of a deal to set up programs to divert young offenders from mandatory sentencing amounted to "fraud" against the Federal Government and taxpayers, a national youth advocacy group claimed yesterday. The director of the National Children's and Youth Law Centre, Mr Louis Schetzer, claimed that the breach of an agreement to spend $5 million of special Federal funds on diversionary programs was "a disgrace and a slap in the face to every taxpayer in the country". In the face of a threatened rebellion by some backbenchers opposed to the Territory's mandatory sentencing regime, the Prime Minister struck a deal with the Territory's Chief Minister, Mr Burke, to provide the money for a range of measures including diversionary programs and an interpreter service. But on Friday, Mr Burke's office said that most of the money would go instead to the Territory's police, to help them cope with an "increasing workload". Mr Howard's office later assured concerned backbenchers that the deal was not yet finalised, and the extra money would be withheld if the Territory did not keep its part of the bargain. According to Mr Schetzer , Mr Burke's attitude displayed contempt for the Federal Government and taxpayers elsewhere in the country, who were footing the bill. "This funding was for the specified purpose of the establishment of an accredited, recognised indigenous interpreting service which Aboriginal Legal Services could access, and for the funding of more community-based diversionary programs for young offenders," Mr Schetzer said. "The NT Government is now seeking to recant on both of these core conditions." Mr Schetzer accused Mr Burke of "laughing" at the Federal Government. "Tragically, he is also laughing at at the nation's grief and outrage over the death of a 15- year-old in February, who was detained under the mandatory sentencing laws," Mr Schetzer said. This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited. -- ********************************** 'Click' to protect the rainforest: Make the Rainforest Site your homepage! http://www.therainforestsite.com/ ********************************** ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
