Call for Aboriginal legal aid review

TASMANIAN Aboriginal Centre spokesman Michael Mansell has called on the Federal Government to intervene in the state’s Aboriginal legal aid scheme.

In 2015, the then-Abbott government replaced the TAC’s 40-year-old Aboriginal Legal Service with an interstate body. The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service was awarded the $11.7 million, fiveyear contract to provide services in Tasmania.

A spokeswoman for Attorney-General George Brandis said there were a number of concerns with the TAC service, including “the high cost of its services, the types of law to which it directed resources, and its limited recognition of Aboriginal people”.

Mr Mansell, the TAC’s for- mer legal director, said clients had to call Melbourne for outof-hours advice, which had resulted in great frustration.

“The receiver in Melbourne has no idea where places like Glenorchy or Newnham are which creates tension and frustration,” he said.

Tasmanian Aboriginal Community Legal Service chief executive officer Wayne Muir said Aboriginal people were available at all hours to assist any Tasmanian Aboriginal person taken into custody.

“While after-hours calls are directed to VALS, callers are able to speak to a client service officer and lawyer at the time of the call,” he said.

He said TACLS received custody notifications and had lawyers available to represent clients in court the next day.