QUEENSLAND`S struggling Department of Justice and Attorney-General has been given no promise of a funding reprieve in the upcoming State Budget.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh today said the department would be competing with others for extra funding, despite a scathing report which showed a $17.8 million funding shortfall was crippling the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“Many government departments have put forth funding submissions and they will all be taken seriously and carefully considered,” Ms Bligh said in Brisbane.
“The needs of the DPP will balanced along with our health system, our education system and the need for roads and transport.”
The leaked report by the DPP`s executive director Paul Davey reveals at least 91 staff, including senior crown prosecutors, are needed to handle caseloads that are six times higher than in other states.
The report reveals a $17.8 million funding shortfall and overworked staff which are threatening the outcomes of cases in court.
The report calls for the recruitment of 49 crown prosecutors and 42 crown advocates and the funding shortfall to be addressed.
But Ms Bligh said the department`s funding needs would have to weighed up against those of other government agencies.
“The DPP has growing needs as the population grows and their needs will considered along with all the other needs whether its schools, hospitals,” she said.
Comment has been sought from the opposition.
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