❓ Mr. Katsambanis questions the Premier about a reported increase in the release of dangerous sex offenders. The Premier denies the claim, highlighting their government's efforts to toughen laws and restrict releases, contrasting it with the previous government's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 715Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DANGEROUS SEXUAL
OFFENDERS — RELEASE
715. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I refer to the tough-on-crime
approach of the federal Attorney-General, Christian Porter, including locking
up paedophiles for long jail terms. Can the Premier confirm that the number of
dangerous sex offenders, including paedophiles, being released into the
community in Western Australia has increased by 43 per cent in the last 12 months
under his government?
OFFENDERS — RELEASE
715. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I refer to the tough-on-crime
approach of the federal Attorney-General, Christian Porter, including locking
up paedophiles for long jail terms. Can the Premier confirm that the number of
dangerous sex offenders, including paedophiles, being released into the
community in Western Australia has increased by 43 per cent in the last 12 months
under his government?
AnswerView source ↗
The reality is that we have
toughened up the dangerous sex offender laws since we have been in office, and
made it far more difficult for those regarded as a risk to the community to be
released. We passed these laws to build on the laws that the last Labor
government brought in in 2006 to allow for a dangerous sex offender to be kept
in prison beyond the end of their sentence. During the eight and a half years
the Liberals were in power, they did nothing. In fact, the present Attorney
General and I stood outside the south entrance of Parliament House regularly
talking about how we would bring in reforms to the law, and we have done so.
Our laws are the toughest in Australia, and they are constitutionally valid.
That is the advice that we have had. They are constitutionally valid, and the
toughest in Australia. The member for Hillarys sits there now professing that
it is all no good and that more needs to be done, et cetera, but when we raised
these issues when we were in opposition, the member for Hillarys and Mr Mischin,
the then Attorney General, refused to do anything. They refused to do a single
thing. They did nothing. Mr Mischin had a view that the law should not be
changed, and that was the view that prevailed within the Barnett government.
That is what happened, so we changed the laws, and toughened them up
significantly. It is now very difficult for dangerous sex offenders to be
released, and if they are released, the conditions are ordinarily very
extensive. I have seen 40, 50 or 60 conditions being applied to these people
when they are released, under the new laws. Extraordinarily enhanced and tough
conditions have been applied, and it is far more difficult for a dangerous sex
offender to be released.
toughened up the dangerous sex offender laws since we have been in office, and
made it far more difficult for those regarded as a risk to the community to be
released. We passed these laws to build on the laws that the last Labor
government brought in in 2006 to allow for a dangerous sex offender to be kept
in prison beyond the end of their sentence. During the eight and a half years
the Liberals were in power, they did nothing. In fact, the present Attorney
General and I stood outside the south entrance of Parliament House regularly
talking about how we would bring in reforms to the law, and we have done so.
Our laws are the toughest in Australia, and they are constitutionally valid.
That is the advice that we have had. They are constitutionally valid, and the
toughest in Australia. The member for Hillarys sits there now professing that
it is all no good and that more needs to be done, et cetera, but when we raised
these issues when we were in opposition, the member for Hillarys and Mr Mischin,
the then Attorney General, refused to do anything. They refused to do a single
thing. They did nothing. Mr Mischin had a view that the law should not be
changed, and that was the view that prevailed within the Barnett government.
That is what happened, so we changed the laws, and toughened them up
significantly. It is now very difficult for dangerous sex offenders to be
released, and if they are released, the conditions are ordinarily very
extensive. I have seen 40, 50 or 60 conditions being applied to these people
when they are released, under the new laws. Extraordinarily enhanced and tough
conditions have been applied, and it is far more difficult for a dangerous sex
offender to be released.
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