Hansard debates

Mr CARROLL (Niddrie—Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (11:30:58): Yes, I certainly would be delighted to meet with those stakeholders as well as the member for Shepparton. She does raise a very important point, I think, about her community and some of the over-representation of particular cohorts in both youth justice and adult corrections. If you are born Indigenous in Victoria, you are 14 times more likely to end up in prison, and sadly, if you are 25 and under, you are 25 times more likely to end up in the youth justice system. I have been to Shepparton—indeed I know the Attorney-General was in Shepparton only last week—and I have met with some of the organisations. I am very familiar with the work of the Lighthouse project, which our government is supporting. I am also very familiar with the work of Rumbalara, an internationally recognised organisation in Shepparton. I thank the member. We will make every investment we need to from Melbourne to country Victoria, including Shepparton, and I would be delighted to find the time in my diary as soon as possible to visit those stakeholders and meet them and see some of the good work happening on the ground.