❓ The Premier addresses concerns about knife crime by outlining new laws allowing police to use metal detectors in designated areas and temporary knife-scanning zones. The laws aim to enhance public safety and target individuals carrying concealed weapons, while acknowledging recent global and local incidents of knife violence.
AnsweredQoN 456Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KNIFE CRIME — STOP-AND-SEARCH LAWS
456. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to cracking down on violent crime.
(1) Can the Premier update the house
on the progress of the proposed new laws addressing knife crime?
(2) Can the Premier outline to the house how the
proposed laws will help Western Australians feel safer in public?
456. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to cracking down on violent crime.
(1) Can the Premier update the house
on the progress of the proposed new laws addressing knife crime?
(2) Can the Premier outline to the house how the
proposed laws will help Western Australians feel safer in public?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Can
I take the opportunity, with Madam Speaker's indulgence, to acknowledge
the Olympic athletes competing in Paris at
the moment, in particular the West Aussies who are doing us proud. We sit
fourth on the gold medal tally, which I think is something, as a nation,
we should be very proud of. I acknowledge the
more than 70 West Aussies who are competing in the Olympics and Paralympics.
Whatever the outcome , they are doing us proud, and we are greatly
enjoying their endeavours.
Among the things we cherish most in Western
Australia is the fact that we live in a safe and peaceful community. For the
most part, we enjoy a social harmony that is experienced in few other places on
earth. This is an incredible place to live and we want to make sure that it
stays that way. When instances of weaponised
violence occur, they are met with overwhelming shock and condemnation. I think
we were all particularly shocked by
the knife crime that occurred in Willetton a few short months ago. As a government, it is our job to ensure that women, kids and families can go anywhere and feel
safe from harm. However, as we have seen right across the world, there is an
increasingly complex social matrix, and the job of maintaining security grows
more complex with it. This is underscored by Australia's national
intelligence experts, who lifted the nation's terror threat rating just
yesterday. Last week, the world witnessed a horrific attack on innocent
children at a Taylor Swift–themed dance class in the United Kingdom,
and the disruption and anger that occurred as a result of that crime. It was a tragic
reminder that knife crime causes heartbreak in communities across the world. Of
course, none of us will forget the images from Bondi and how distressing they
were.
Western Australia, too, is impacted
by this escalation of knife crime. Today we introduced new laws to crack down
on knives and concealed blades. Under the government's tough new laws,
police will be able to use walk-through and
handheld metal detectors or wands to scan for hidden weapons anytime, anywhere .
These new police powers will be backed by tough new penalties targeting those
who illegally possess knives or sell them to minors. To be clear, these laws
will not target tradies with a Leatherman or a chef heading to work with their
tools of trade; this is a commonsense law. These new laws will enable police to
use metal detectors to carry out non-invasive scans of people they suspect may
be armed. These scans will be allowed in only what are known as knife-scanning
areas. These include all existing protected entertainment precincts. That, for
members' information, is Northbridge, Perth, Mandurah, Scarborough, Hillarys and Joondalup. In addition, senior
officers will have the power to declare temporary knife-scanning areas
in any public place, from shopping centres to public transport points, or even
sports and community events. These laws are designed to protect Western Australians.
This crackdown will target people who
do the wrong thing—that is, those who think they are above the law and
have the right to carry a concealed weapon in our community. That is not okay,
and we will stamp it out. I think all Western Australians would agree that a weapon
in the wrong hands at the wrong time is a recipe for disaster, and that
combined with a heightened alert around violent extremism from individual or
lone wolf actors means that now is the time for this law. Ultimately, our aim
is to preserve the fantastic life we have here in Western Australia, to ensure
that people feel safe wherever they go and to prevent thugs from carrying out
violent attacks before they get a chance to do so.
Madam Speaker, I will always do what
is right for Western Australia, and Western Australians expect a place that
will be kept safe. We will do everything we can to make sure that we make it
that way.
I take the opportunity, with Madam Speaker's indulgence, to acknowledge
the Olympic athletes competing in Paris at
the moment, in particular the West Aussies who are doing us proud. We sit
fourth on the gold medal tally, which I think is something, as a nation,
we should be very proud of. I acknowledge the
more than 70 West Aussies who are competing in the Olympics and Paralympics.
Whatever the outcome , they are doing us proud, and we are greatly
enjoying their endeavours.
Among the things we cherish most in Western
Australia is the fact that we live in a safe and peaceful community. For the
most part, we enjoy a social harmony that is experienced in few other places on
earth. This is an incredible place to live and we want to make sure that it
stays that way. When instances of weaponised
violence occur, they are met with overwhelming shock and condemnation. I think
we were all particularly shocked by
the knife crime that occurred in Willetton a few short months ago. As a government, it is our job to ensure that women, kids and families can go anywhere and feel
safe from harm. However, as we have seen right across the world, there is an
increasingly complex social matrix, and the job of maintaining security grows
more complex with it. This is underscored by Australia's national
intelligence experts, who lifted the nation's terror threat rating just
yesterday. Last week, the world witnessed a horrific attack on innocent
children at a Taylor Swift–themed dance class in the United Kingdom,
and the disruption and anger that occurred as a result of that crime. It was a tragic
reminder that knife crime causes heartbreak in communities across the world. Of
course, none of us will forget the images from Bondi and how distressing they
were.
Western Australia, too, is impacted
by this escalation of knife crime. Today we introduced new laws to crack down
on knives and concealed blades. Under the government's tough new laws,
police will be able to use walk-through and
handheld metal detectors or wands to scan for hidden weapons anytime, anywhere .
These new police powers will be backed by tough new penalties targeting those
who illegally possess knives or sell them to minors. To be clear, these laws
will not target tradies with a Leatherman or a chef heading to work with their
tools of trade; this is a commonsense law. These new laws will enable police to
use metal detectors to carry out non-invasive scans of people they suspect may
be armed. These scans will be allowed in only what are known as knife-scanning
areas. These include all existing protected entertainment precincts. That, for
members' information, is Northbridge, Perth, Mandurah, Scarborough, Hillarys and Joondalup. In addition, senior
officers will have the power to declare temporary knife-scanning areas
in any public place, from shopping centres to public transport points, or even
sports and community events. These laws are designed to protect Western Australians.
This crackdown will target people who
do the wrong thing—that is, those who think they are above the law and
have the right to carry a concealed weapon in our community. That is not okay,
and we will stamp it out. I think all Western Australians would agree that a weapon
in the wrong hands at the wrong time is a recipe for disaster, and that
combined with a heightened alert around violent extremism from individual or
lone wolf actors means that now is the time for this law. Ultimately, our aim
is to preserve the fantastic life we have here in Western Australia, to ensure
that people feel safe wherever they go and to prevent thugs from carrying out
violent attacks before they get a chance to do so.
Madam Speaker, I will always do what
is right for Western Australia, and Western Australians expect a place that
will be kept safe. We will do everything we can to make sure that we make it
that way.
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