WELCOME

 

Julie Edwards
CEO, Jesuit Social Services

 

Julie Edwards joined Jesuit Social Services in 2001. She was the Program Director prior to her appointment as CEO in June 2004. Julie has over 30 years experience engaging with marginalised people and families experiencing breakdown and trauma. She is a social worker, family therapist and a grief and loss counsellor. Julie has a Masters in Social Work and is currently completing her doctorate in this discipline. In January 2010 Julie became a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

 

Julie serves on a number of government committees that work to promote a more just society and contribute to the health and wellbeing of members of our community. She is also a member of the International Working Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement.

 

 

FACILITATOR

 

Frank Brennan SJ AO
Professor of Law, Institute of Legal Studies, Australian Catholic University

 

Frank Brennan is a Jesuit priest, an adjunct fellow in the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the ANU, professor of law in the Institute of Legal Studies at the Australian Catholic University, and professor of human rights and social justice at the University of Notre Dame Australia. He was founding director of UNIYA, the former Australian Jesuit Social Justice Centre. In 2005, he returned from a fellowship at Boston College.

 

Frank’s books on Aboriginal issues include The Wik Debate, One Land One Nation, Sharing the Country and Land Rights Queensland Style. His books on civil liberties are Too Much Order with Too Little Law and Legislating Liberty. His book Tampering with Asylum compares Australia's asylum policies with other first world countries. Frank is an officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for services to Aboriginal Australians, particularly as an advocate in the areas of law, social justice and reconciliation. He and Pat Dodson shared the inaugural ACFOA Human Rights Award. For his work as Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in East Timor and adviser to the East Timorese Church Working Group on the Constitution, Frank was awarded the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal. He also received the Australian Centenary Medal for refugee and human rights work in the Asia Pacific. During the 1998 Wik debate, Paul Keating dubbed him the 'meddling priest'.

 

The National Trust has classified him as a Living National Treasure.

 

In February 2010 Frank was appointed Catholic Advocate in Residence for the St Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic Health Australia (CHA), Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA), and the Australian Catholic University's Public Policy Institute (PPI).

 

MINISTER – FORMAL OPENING

 

The Hon Andrew McIntosh MP
Minister for Corrections, Minister for Crime Prevention and Minister Responsible for Establishing an Anti-corruption Commission.

 

Minister McIntosh is also the Manager of Government Business in the Legislative Assembly.

Minister McIntosh was first elected to State Parliament as the Member for Kew in 1999, serving as a Shadow Minister from 2002 until the most recent state election in 2010.

After graduating from university with bachelor degrees in economics and law, Minister McIntosh worked as a solicitor in a Melbourne law firm, was associate to a Chief Justice of Victoria and then practised as a barrister for 14 years before entering Parliament. He served on the Victorian Bar Council for 10 years.

At the Victorian Bar, Minister McIntosh specialised in commercial litigation although he was also briefed in two native title cases. He was actively involved in legal education, visiting Papua & New Guinea and Vanuatu with delegations from the Victorian Bar as well as lecturing at RMIT.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

 

Frank Vincent QC
Former Victorian Supreme Court Judge

 

Justice Frank Vincent was among Victoria’s most eminent legal practitioners. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1980 and was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1985 and the Court of Appeal in 2001 (retired 2009).

Frank joined the Bar in 1961 and pursued a career practising as a barrister in criminal and general common law. He also spent a period in 1974 and 1975 employed by the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service and later the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service.

Frank has also chaired the Adult Parole Board since 1987 and acted as Deputy Chairperson for a number of years prior to that.

In addition to his extensive legal career, Frank held the academic positions of Chancellor of Victoria University of Technology and Adjunct Professor of the Faculty of Law, Monash University.

 

 

PANEL ONE

 

Emeritus Professor Tony Vinson AM
Emeritus Professor, University of New South Wales

 

Professor Tony Vinson is the author of the 2007 groundbreaking national study Dropping off the Edge: the distribution of disadvantage in Australia, commissioned by Jesuit Social Services and Catholic Social Services Australia.

 

Tony is an Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales and an Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. His career spans the disciplines of social work, social policy, psychology, education, public administration and social research. He was appointed Foundation Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research in 1970 and in the mid seventies was Professor of Behavioural Science in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Newcastle. Following a revelatory Royal Commission into the NSW prison system, for three years (1979-1981) Tony Vinson headed the Department of Corrective Services during a period of intense reform and in 2021-02 chaired an Independent Inquiry into NSW Public Education. Professor Vinson has been published widely. 

 

Professor Kate Auty
Commissioner Environmental Sustainability – Victoria

 

Dr Kate Auty (PhD, MEnvSc, BA(Hons)LLB) has an extensive legal and academic background including post graduate qualifications in environmental science. Dr Auty signed the Victorian Bar Roll in 1992, and was appointed a Victorian Magistrate in 1999. Dr Auty established the first Victorian Koori Court and acted as inaugural Koori Court Magistrate. She has undertaken a number of consultancies including a project on local government and climate change for the National Environmental Law Association. In 2008 Dr Auty was appointed a Charles Joseph LaTrobe Fellow with the Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities, La Trobe University. The fellowship was to involve a three year research project consulting with Aboriginal women about justice issues including heritage and environmental concerns.

 

In 2008 Dr Auty was appointed Chairperson of the Victorian Ministerial Reference Council for Climate Change Adaptation and also served as a member of the Premier of Victoria's Reference Group on Climate Change. In 2008 Dr Auty was appointed a Charles Joseph LaTrobe Fellow with the Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities, La Trobe University. The fellowship was to involve a three year research project consulting with Aboriginal women about justice issues including heritage and environmental concerns.

 

Upon her appointment as Commissioner, Dr Auty resigned from the Victorian Ministerial Reference Council for Climate Change Adaptation and the Premier of Victoria's Reference Group on Climate Change. Dr Auty also resigned her Charles Joseph La Trobe Fellowship.

 

 

Bernie Geary AM
Child Safety Commissioner Victoria

 

Bernie Geary has been working over the last 35 years with vulnerable children, young people and their families. He began his career as Victoria's first outreach youth worker in Melbourne's West Heidelberg area, where he worked for 14 years. He then worked for 17 years at Jesuit Social Services, where he was the CEO from 2001 to 2005. In his early years with Jesuit Social Services, Bernie managed the Brosnan Centre, assisting young people upon their release from prison. He has been an advisor and advocate on issues relating to young people and families throughout his career.

 

Bernie served on the Victorian Youth Parole Board from 1988 – 2005, and was a member of the initial Premier's Drug Advisory Council in 1999 (under the Kennett Government) and the subsequent Premier's Drug Advisory Council in 2001 (under the Bracks Government). Bernie was a member of the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council from 2005 - 2008. He is currently a member of the Victorian Children's Council.

 

As Child Safety Commissioner, Bernie is responsible for auditing and monitoring a range of Government children’s services in the areas of Child Protection, Out-of-Home Care and more general safety standards for Victorian Children. The Child Safety Commissioner acts as a leader, a conduit and an advisor on children's issues.

 

Bernie received the Order of Australia in 2002 for services to young people, a Centenary Medal in 2000, and has an honorary Masters Degree in Social Work. In June 2010, through the Australian Catholic University, Bernie received an honorary award of Doctor of the University (Honoris Causa).

 

 

 

 

Patricia Faulkner, AO
Partner, KPMG

 

Patricia Faulkner, Chair of the Jesuit Social Services Board, is a Partner with KPMG, Australia. Patricia has held a diverse range of high level positions, including Secretary, Department of Human Services (Victoria) from 2000-07, Director of Consumer Affairs (Victoria) and Director of Occupational Health and Safety. She is a Fellow of the Australian College of Health Services Executives and a National Fellow of IPAA.

 

Patricia's other positions of note include: Director of VMIA, member of the Companies and Securities Advisory Committee, Director of HGFL, Chair of the EPAC Enquiry into Childcare in Australia, Trustee for the Travel Compensation Fund, member of the Architects Registration Board and Director, Vic Super. She has served on the Melbourne International Arts Festival Board since October 2003.

 

Patricia was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2008 for service to the community through the development and implementation of public policy relating to health, aged care, children's services, disability services and housing.

 

Patricia Faulkner heads the Australian Social Inclusion Board and is also a member of the Federal Climate Change Committee.

 

 

 

 

Terry Laidler
Chair, Victorian Mental Health Reform Council

 

Terry has extensive experience as a forensic psychologist working in private practice, mainly in family law, child protection and criminal jurisdictions. He is an honorary senior fellow in the School of Population Health at the University of Melbourne and chairs the Victorian Mental Health Reform Council. Ordained in 1975, he worked as Catholic Parish Priest of Parkville and Chaplain to the University of Melbourne. During this time, he presented the Pater Award winning program, Tapestry, on FOX-FM. Terry completed an Arts Degree with Honours in psychology at Melbourne University in 1978 and a Law Degree in 1992.

He resigned from the Catholic priesthood in 1987, and worked as a policy advisor on health services to older people in the Victorian Health Department, before working as the presenter of various Melbourne radio programs.

 

Terry's interest in the community is shown the variety of his public appointments: he has chaired the Victorian Road Safety Co-ordinating Council and has consulted for the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse and the Victorian Community Council against Violence.

 

He is currently the Chair of the Smartwater Fund Independent Assessment Panel and of the Port of Melbourne Corporation Channel Deepening Project Community Liaison Group. Other recent appointments have included membership of the Adult Parole Board of Victoria, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the Advisory Board for VicRoads and chairing the Victorian Environment Protection Authority's Panel advising on Melbourne Water's proposals to upgrade the Eastern Sewerage Treatment Plant. Terry has also been a member of the Boards of the Burnet Centre, the Victoria Police Ethical Standards Consultative Committee and the Windana Society and of the Council of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare).

 

 

PANEL TWO

 

The Hon Greg James QC
President, NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal

 

Formerly a Queen's Counsel practicing throughout Australia and overseas, Greg James has been a Judge of the New South Wales Supreme Court sitting in the Common Law Division and the Court of Criminal Appeal and a South Australian Royal Commissioner.

 

He is currently President of the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal, Adjunct Professor at the School of Law Southern Cross University and Visiting Professor and Chair of the Curriculum Committee at the Law School University of Western Sydney.

As President of the New South Wales Mental Health Review Tribunal, Greg is charged with heading the body with the statutory responsibility for enquiring into or determining the care, detention and treatment of all persons suffering mental disorder who are detained or treated involuntarily in NSW. He presides over a Tribunal of approximately 100 professional members conducting about 10,500 hearings per year.

Greg has recently completed enquiries commissioned by the Government into the New South Wales legislative scheme dealing with persons mentally ill in gaol, acquitted by reason of mental illness or unfit for trial and the administrative system applying to such people. As a consequence of the recommendations he made on his NSW reviews, the Government has enacted amendments to the Mental Health (Forensic Procedure) Act (1990) which affects wide-ranging reforms to the legal regime for treatment of such people.

Greg is one of the NSW Law Reform Commissioners engaged in various enquiries including an enquiry into the law and procedure concerning the treatment in the criminal courts of those with cognitive deficits or mental disorders and on the principles affecting the sentencing of such people.

 

Wayne Muir
CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Services

 

Wayne Muir is a Yorta Yorta/Barkinji man with an extensive background in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, community development, justice and wellbeing. He offers strong research, evaluation, facilitation and development skills and experience across the diversity of public and community sectors.

Wayne has been involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, justice and community affairs for over 20 years. His roles have included Koori Educator, Statewide Co-ordinator of Koori Adult and Further Education Department of Education, Manager, Aboriginal Education Centre University of Ballarat, Senior Consultant Ingenuity Consulting, Head of School, School of Indigenous Australian People Southbank Institute of Technology and CEO of Community organisations.

 

Wayne's community work has included Chairperson, Ballarat Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, Statewide Chairperson, Victorian Aboriginal Community Justice Panels, Member Victorian Aboriginal Justice Forum, Member Committee of Management Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated and Chairperson, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Standing Committee on Indigenous Education.

 

 

Justice Michael Bourke
County Court Judge, Victoria. Chair, Victorian Youth Parole Board

 

 

Andrew Waters
Barrister, Children’s Court

 

BA(Hons(Criminology))LLB(Hons) Melb 1989-94.

After admission to the Bar, Andrew worked with OzChild Youth Advocacy and Legal Service for 4 years, working with disadvantaged children and young people in the Dandenong and Springvale areas.

Andrew has been a Barrister for the last 10 years specialising in crime, particularly in the Children's Court.

 

Andrew has had a special interest in Restorative Justice over many years, completing his Honours thesis in Group Conferencing in 1993. Since the inception of Group Conferencing in Victoria, Andrew has represented a large number of young people involved in this process, both advocating for the program in Court and personally attending the Conferences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kerry Walker
Director, Neighbourhood Justice Centre Victoria

 

 

 

 

Daniel Briggs
Lawyer, Kimberley Community Legal Services.

 

Daniel is a Yorta Yorta man from Shepparton in the Goulburn Valley area of North Central Victoria. He has a background in community based programs and project work. In 2000 he worked with the Woongi Emotional & Spiritual Wellbeing Program for two years before taking up a role with the Department of Justice Victoria as the Inaugural Koori Court Officer at the Shepparton Magistrates' Court, Koori Court Division.

 

Daniel later moved to Melbourne where he joined the Courts & Programs Development Unit as a Project Manager. This involved assisting in the further establishment of additional Koori Courts whilst maintaining and supporting those that were already in operation. Whilst working in this role, Daniel completed his Bachelor of Laws Degree at Deakin University, Geelong.

 

Recently admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of Western Australia, Daniel has worked in Kununurra for the past two years with the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia and the Kimberley Community Legal Service. He is now moving to Darwin to work as a criminal lawyer with the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency.

 

 

 

PANEL THREE

 

Rod Wise
Deputy Commissioner Operations, Corrections Victoria

 

Rod is the Deputy Commissioner, Operations in Corrections Victoria and has worked in the corrections field for more than 30 years. Starting as a Prison Officer in Pentridge, he has - amongst other things - run a community corrections program, worked extensively in sentence management, and been the Governor of three maximum security prisons. He has been Deputy Commissioner since 2007, and his role now covers the oversight of both prisons and Community Corrections.

 

 

 

 

Emeritus Professor Tony Vinson AM
Emeritus Professor, University of New South Wales

 

Tony Vinson is the author of the 2007 groundbreaking national study Dropping off the edge: the distribution of disadvantage in Australia, commissioned by Jesuit Social Services and Catholic Social Services Australia.

Tony is an Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales and an Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. His career spans the disciplines of social work, social policy, psychology, education, public administration and social research. He was appointed Foundation Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research in 1970 and in the mid seventies was Professor of Behavioural Science in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Newcastle. Following a revelatory Royal Commission into the NSW prison system, for three years (1979-1981) Tony Vinson headed the Department of Corrective Services during a period of intense reform and in 2021-02 chaired an Independent Inquiry into NSW Public Education. Professor Vinson has been published widely. 

 

 

 

 

Fr Joe Caddy
CEO, CatholicCare  

 

Fr Joe Caddy is a priest and the Chief Executive Officer of CatholicCare, Archdiocese of Melbourne. He is currently Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia the peak body representing the work of Catholic community service agencies nationally. He is an Adjunct Professor with the Australian Catholic University where he chairs the advisory committee to the Quality of Life and Social Justice Research Centre.

In addition Joe is chaplain to the men's maximum security prisons in Melbourne.

From 1991-1993, Joe lived in Rome where he completed a Licentiate in Social Sciences at the Gregorian University.

Joe has a great interest in matters of social justice and poverty and advocates regularly for policies and programs to ensure stronger families and communities. Since 2003 he has been co-convener of the highly successful annual conference Communities in Control.

 

 

 

PANEL FOUR

 

Peter Murphy
CEO, Noetic Solutions

 

Peter is a founding Principal of Noetic Solutions and has substantial experience in developing practical solutions to intricate organisational issues. He has worked at the strategic level to assist organisations in the emergency services, government and corporate sectors. Peter’s particular expertise is in strategic thinking, workforce planning, lessons learnt and whole of organisation solutions. Peter's qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Masters of Science, Masters of Business Administration and Graduate Certificate in Information Technology.

 

 

 

 

Leonard Ottone
Former Jesuit Social Services employee

 

 

Jonathon Hunyor
Principal Legal Officer, North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency

 

Jonathon Hunyor is the Principal Legal Officer of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, the Aboriginal legal aid service for the Top End of the Northern Territory. He was previously the Director of Legal Services at the Australian Human Rights Commission in Sydney. Jonathon has worked as a lawyer with the Central Land Council in Alice Springs on land rights and land management issues and the NT Legal Aid Commission in Darwin in criminal and refugee law. He lectured in Discrimination and the Law at the University of NSW between 2006 and 2010 and has published articles in academic and professional journals on a range of topics including criminal law, refugee law, discrimination and human rights.

 

 

 

The Hon Graham West
CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society, NSW

 

 

Graham is the current CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society in NSW.

Graham was a Member of Parliament in NSW for 10 years representing the Campbelltown area, and held a number of Ministerial positions including Juvenile Justice and Youth, Volunteering, Gaming and Racing and Minister Assisting the Premier on Veterans Affairs.

Graham has been active at a board level in the community sector for many years, especially in community development and youth drug and alcohol education and support, and is an advisory board member with CentaCare Wilcannia-Forbes, a director of SHINE for Kids co-operative, and is NSW Co-chair for Anti Poverty week.

In addition, Graham has a continuing interest in community engagement policies, environmental strategies at the local level, and issues concerning indigenous youth, especially in the areas of employment and education. Graham has written on youth engagement in decision-making using social networking and Web 2.0 and is a regular speaker on the importance of community development.

Graham holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Management, a Master of International Studies, is an Advanced Fire Fighter with the NSW Rural Fire Service, and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport.

 

 

 

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