PAPALIA MUST GO AS WATCHDOG SOUNDS ALARM

The Opposition is calling on Premier Roger Cook to sack Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia following a damning report from the Inspector of Custodial Services.

The Cook Labor Government has lost control of Western Australia’s prison system, with the independent Inspector issuing a show cause notice across three prisons – Hakea, Casuarina and Melaleuca – in a single day.

Only three show cause notices had ever been issued in the history of the Inspector’s powers, making this one of the most serious condemnations of Western Australia’s prison system on record.

Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said the report was a damning indictment of the Cook Labor Government’s failure to protect and keep West Australians safe.

“This is a failure of government, and the buck stops with the Premier,” Mr Zempilas said.

“When an independent watchdog takes the extraordinary step of issuing a show cause notice across three prisons in a single day, no Minister can credibly claim everything is under control.

“The prison system is in crisis, community safety is being compromised, and the Premier can no longer look the other way.”

Shadow Corrective Services Minister Adam Hort said the Inspector’s findings left Minister Papalia’s position untenable.

“Unsafe prisons mean unsafe communities,” Mr Hort said.

“A prison system that has no space for criminals, cannot rehabilitate criminals and cannot safely manage criminals is a direct threat to every Western Australian.

“This is not another warning sign. It is a flashing red light.

“This is too significant to ignore and too serious for the Minister to survive; Premier Cook must sack Minister Papalia from Cabinet before this crisis worsens.

”The Inspector’s report found what began as a failure at Hakea has now escalated into a system-wide breakdown, driven by overcrowding, workforce shortages and routine lockdowns.