❓ Opposition asks Premier about mandatory sentencing for assaults on nurses. Premier deflects, citing previous government's decision not to include nurses in similar legislation, highlighting complexities of patient behaviour under medication.
AnsweredQoN 709Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH STAFF —
ASSAULTS AGAINST
709. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
Given the continued out-of-control
violence against nurses and the Premier's refusal to provide a definitive
answer to this question last week, does the Premier support minimum mandatory
sentencing for people who assault our nurses, or does he categorically rule it
out?
ASSAULTS AGAINST
709. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
Given the continued out-of-control
violence against nurses and the Premier's refusal to provide a definitive
answer to this question last week, does the Premier support minimum mandatory
sentencing for people who assault our nurses, or does he categorically rule it
out?
AnswerView source ↗
The member was not in Parliament in
2009, when laws relating to police officers and others were brought in. The
then Attorney General, Christian Porter, deliberately did not include other
occupations under those laws. He said that it was not appropriate that they be
included.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition!
Mr M. McGOWAN : About police
officers and other included jobs, Christian Porter stated —
� it is an intrinsic, and not
ancillary, part of their public duties to face violent conduct on a daily basis
�
He said that meant they should be
included under the law, but other occupations should not.
On 17 March 2009, there was other
commentary about this matter from the member for Riverton, the former Leader of
the Liberal Party, as he now is. When asked about nurses and other occupations,
he said —
We
should not widen the legislation. Nurses are often confronted by mad drug
people in emergency rooms, but those people are usually accompanied by police,
and the police are the guardians, rather than the nurses.
Mr Porter, the former Leader of the
Liberal Party, and other members of the then government indicated —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : They
indicated that it was not appropriate to expand it. As I outlined to the house
last week in response to a question about this, like a lot of people, I have
been to hospital. When people go to hospitals, they are often drugged, and
drugs have different impacts on people. Some people react in ways that they
ordinarily would not. If members opposite are saying that someone coming out of
surgery who reacts violently after they have been under the influence of drugs
or something of that nature should be mandatorily sentenced, I do not think
they are taking full account of the complexity of the situation faced by
patients and their family members, sometimes in very extreme circumstances. As
I said last week, this is a complex matter and does not deserve political
posturing.
2009, when laws relating to police officers and others were brought in. The
then Attorney General, Christian Porter, deliberately did not include other
occupations under those laws. He said that it was not appropriate that they be
included.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition!
Mr M. McGOWAN : About police
officers and other included jobs, Christian Porter stated —
� it is an intrinsic, and not
ancillary, part of their public duties to face violent conduct on a daily basis
�
He said that meant they should be
included under the law, but other occupations should not.
On 17 March 2009, there was other
commentary about this matter from the member for Riverton, the former Leader of
the Liberal Party, as he now is. When asked about nurses and other occupations,
he said —
We
should not widen the legislation. Nurses are often confronted by mad drug
people in emergency rooms, but those people are usually accompanied by police,
and the police are the guardians, rather than the nurses.
Mr Porter, the former Leader of the
Liberal Party, and other members of the then government indicated —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : They
indicated that it was not appropriate to expand it. As I outlined to the house
last week in response to a question about this, like a lot of people, I have
been to hospital. When people go to hospitals, they are often drugged, and
drugs have different impacts on people. Some people react in ways that they
ordinarily would not. If members opposite are saying that someone coming out of
surgery who reacts violently after they have been under the influence of drugs
or something of that nature should be mandatorily sentenced, I do not think
they are taking full account of the complexity of the situation faced by
patients and their family members, sometimes in very extreme circumstances. As
I said last week, this is a complex matter and does not deserve political
posturing.
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