❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Liberal-National government's introduction of tougher home invasion laws. The Minister's response is highly partisan, attacking the opposition's stance on mandatory sentencing and questioning their support for the legislation.
AnsweredQoN 269Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LAW AND ORDER — HOME INVASION LEGISLATION
269. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Police:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Perth, I would like to acknowledge the presence today in the
Speaker's gallery of the Greek Consul, Ms Sofia Choli, and Mrs Patricia
Kailis.
I have had a number of constituents
contact me to congratulate the Liberal–National government's
introduction to Parliament of Australia's toughest home invasion laws.
(1) Can the
minister please update the house on the government's policy with regard
to this legislation?
(2) Is Parliament fully supportive of these laws, and are
there any alternative views?
269. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Police:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Perth, I would like to acknowledge the presence today in the
Speaker's gallery of the Greek Consul, Ms Sofia Choli, and Mrs Patricia
Kailis.
I have had a number of constituents
contact me to congratulate the Liberal–National government's
introduction to Parliament of Australia's toughest home invasion laws.
(1) Can the
minister please update the house on the government's policy with regard
to this legislation?
(2) Is Parliament fully supportive of these laws, and are
there any alternative views?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield for this question. I am
really proud to have him on this side of the house as part of a team that knows
exactly where it stands with regard to mandatory sentencing for people who
violently invade our homes.
(1)–(2)
People on this side of the house, like the members for Churchlands, Belmont,
Geraldton and Forrestfield, know what their communities want. We went to the
community and said that those people who violently invade our homes and those
who repeat —
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Armadale, I
call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We said that when those people who repeatedly break into our homes are
convicted in court of those offences, they will go —
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : We said that they would face mandatory minimum penalties under
this government. People on this side of the house know exactly where they
stand, and I welcome the member for Girrawheen's invitation to ''bring
it on''; we want to bring it on, and we want to know where those
opposite stand. For the last three days we have listened to members opposite —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the second time.
Minister, through the Chair.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : For the last few days we have been listening to members
opposite talk about how evil mandatory penalties are and how evil mandatory
sentencing is —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Yesterday, the member for Warnbro said that many members of the Labor Party
were talking about the folly and the stupidity of implementing legislation that
deprives the judiciary of discretion. He said that it was inappropriate and would
ultimately be self-defeating. We then have the added benefit of listening to
our friend the mad uncle from Butler —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time. Member for
Girrawheen, the member for Kwinana drowned you out that time! Please, no more
shouting out.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The member for Butler spoke for two days about how dreadful mandatory
sentencing is. He spoke at last year's Australian Law Students'
Association conference in Perth, and in front of a bunch of law students he
said—I will not quote exactly what he said, because I do not use the
language that the member for Butler uses—that mandatory sentencing was
BS.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order now for the third time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
He said that mandatory sentencing was BS. I will table for the rest of today's
sitting what he said so that members can see what the member for Butler said.
[See paper 1530.]
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
That is an absolute disgrace. This member wants to be the Attorney General of a
Labor government in this state. The member for Butler, the would-be Attorney General,
stood in front of a bunch of law students and said that mandatory penalties
were shocking and a terrible thing, but he will not say that to victims of
crime or to the people in Clarkson who want these laws. He will not say it to
the Police Union of Workers. He will only stand up in this place, and in front
of a bunch of law students —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the third time. Member for
Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
He will say that in this place and he will say it in front of law students, but
he will not say it to victims of crime and he will not say it in front of the
police union. I want to know where the opposition stands on this. Is it going
to support our legislation or not? Where is it going to stand? I refer to an
article from The West Australian dated 17 June 2009. The article reads, in part —
Labor policy has long opposed
mandatory sentencing and one Labor MP, who wanted to remain anonymous, said
outside Parliament last night that the issue could ''spell the death
knell'' for Eric Ripper's leadership.
With only two out of 10 people voting for Labor, we are
confident that the people in our community know exactly what they want. They
want our legislation, they want the opposition to support it, and they want
Labor Party members to answer to their communities as to where they stand on
mandatory penalties and our legislation.
really proud to have him on this side of the house as part of a team that knows
exactly where it stands with regard to mandatory sentencing for people who
violently invade our homes.
(1)–(2)
People on this side of the house, like the members for Churchlands, Belmont,
Geraldton and Forrestfield, know what their communities want. We went to the
community and said that those people who violently invade our homes and those
who repeat —
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Armadale, I
call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We said that when those people who repeatedly break into our homes are
convicted in court of those offences, they will go —
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : We said that they would face mandatory minimum penalties under
this government. People on this side of the house know exactly where they
stand, and I welcome the member for Girrawheen's invitation to ''bring
it on''; we want to bring it on, and we want to know where those
opposite stand. For the last three days we have listened to members opposite —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the second time.
Minister, through the Chair.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : For the last few days we have been listening to members
opposite talk about how evil mandatory penalties are and how evil mandatory
sentencing is —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Yesterday, the member for Warnbro said that many members of the Labor Party
were talking about the folly and the stupidity of implementing legislation that
deprives the judiciary of discretion. He said that it was inappropriate and would
ultimately be self-defeating. We then have the added benefit of listening to
our friend the mad uncle from Butler —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time. Member for
Girrawheen, the member for Kwinana drowned you out that time! Please, no more
shouting out.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The member for Butler spoke for two days about how dreadful mandatory
sentencing is. He spoke at last year's Australian Law Students'
Association conference in Perth, and in front of a bunch of law students he
said—I will not quote exactly what he said, because I do not use the
language that the member for Butler uses—that mandatory sentencing was
BS.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order now for the third time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
He said that mandatory sentencing was BS. I will table for the rest of today's
sitting what he said so that members can see what the member for Butler said.
[See paper 1530.]
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
That is an absolute disgrace. This member wants to be the Attorney General of a
Labor government in this state. The member for Butler, the would-be Attorney General,
stood in front of a bunch of law students and said that mandatory penalties
were shocking and a terrible thing, but he will not say that to victims of
crime or to the people in Clarkson who want these laws. He will not say it to
the Police Union of Workers. He will only stand up in this place, and in front
of a bunch of law students —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the third time. Member for
Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
He will say that in this place and he will say it in front of law students, but
he will not say it to victims of crime and he will not say it in front of the
police union. I want to know where the opposition stands on this. Is it going
to support our legislation or not? Where is it going to stand? I refer to an
article from The West Australian dated 17 June 2009. The article reads, in part —
Labor policy has long opposed
mandatory sentencing and one Labor MP, who wanted to remain anonymous, said
outside Parliament last night that the issue could ''spell the death
knell'' for Eric Ripper's leadership.
With only two out of 10 people voting for Labor, we are
confident that the people in our community know exactly what they want. They
want our legislation, they want the opposition to support it, and they want
Labor Party members to answer to their communities as to where they stand on
mandatory penalties and our legislation.
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