❓ The Attorney General announces the introduction of the Retail Barring Orders Bill 2025 to protect retail workers from violence, allowing barring orders against individuals who pose a threat, with criminal penalties for breaches.
AnsweredQoN 694Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Retail Barring Orders Bill 2025
694. Mr Hugh Jones to
the Attorney General:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to
deliver sensible and effective law reform so that all Western Australians
feel safe at work. Can the Attorney General update the house on the status of
the retail barring orders legislation and can he advise how this legislation
will enhance community safety?
694. Mr Hugh Jones to
the Attorney General:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to
deliver sensible and effective law reform so that all Western Australians
feel safe at work. Can the Attorney General update the house on the status of
the retail barring orders legislation and can he advise how this legislation
will enhance community safety?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for Darling Range for his question and his continued interest in protecting retail
workers and workers in general. Retail workers play an incredibly important
part in our community. They are our daughters, sons and parents. Many retail
workers are young people or older people returning to work.
They are the unsung
heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. We celebrated nurses, doctors, police et
cetera—rightly so—but retail workers were the ones who were
manning the stores to ensure we received our food staples and other things. They
were on the frontline of people who had COVID. They were serving them and they
did it day in, day out. I congratulate retail workers on behalf of the Cook
Labor government on the work they did during COVID-19 and the work they
continue to do.
The point is that, although
overall crime is decreasing in Western Australia, retail violence is unfortunately
increasing. We are determined to do what we can to ensure that we protect
retail workers. I am very pleased to announce that tomorrow I will introduce
legislation—the Retail Barring Orders Bill 2025. That is geared to
provide safety to retail workers. The bill will allow an employer, a shop
owner, a shopping centre owner or the union that represents retail workers—the
Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association of WA—to make an
application to court for a retail barring order. That will ban an adult from
that premises for up to two years or a juvenile for up to one year.
There is scope
within the order for the magistrate to impose that the order applies to other
premises if there is a reasonable expectation that violence will be repeated in
other premises by the individual. That is a civil scheme. However, if a person
breaches the retail barring order, criminal law will be imposed, with up to
five years imprisonment for serious and persistent breaches of the retail
barring order.
We as a Labor
government are committed to helping retail workers. We have done it through
changes we made last year for increased penalties for assaults on retail
workers. We have given the police extra resources. Over 400 people have been
charged under the increased penalties that we imposed last year. We believe
this addition, the retail barring orders legislation, will provide another mechanism
or tool in our fight to protect retail workers in Western Australia. I am very
proud to stand here as the Attorney General and know that we are doing what we
can to protect our daughters and sons and also our mothers and fathers.
for Darling Range for his question and his continued interest in protecting retail
workers and workers in general. Retail workers play an incredibly important
part in our community. They are our daughters, sons and parents. Many retail
workers are young people or older people returning to work.
They are the unsung
heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. We celebrated nurses, doctors, police et
cetera—rightly so—but retail workers were the ones who were
manning the stores to ensure we received our food staples and other things. They
were on the frontline of people who had COVID. They were serving them and they
did it day in, day out. I congratulate retail workers on behalf of the Cook
Labor government on the work they did during COVID-19 and the work they
continue to do.
The point is that, although
overall crime is decreasing in Western Australia, retail violence is unfortunately
increasing. We are determined to do what we can to ensure that we protect
retail workers. I am very pleased to announce that tomorrow I will introduce
legislation—the Retail Barring Orders Bill 2025. That is geared to
provide safety to retail workers. The bill will allow an employer, a shop
owner, a shopping centre owner or the union that represents retail workers—the
Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association of WA—to make an
application to court for a retail barring order. That will ban an adult from
that premises for up to two years or a juvenile for up to one year.
There is scope
within the order for the magistrate to impose that the order applies to other
premises if there is a reasonable expectation that violence will be repeated in
other premises by the individual. That is a civil scheme. However, if a person
breaches the retail barring order, criminal law will be imposed, with up to
five years imprisonment for serious and persistent breaches of the retail
barring order.
We as a Labor
government are committed to helping retail workers. We have done it through
changes we made last year for increased penalties for assaults on retail
workers. We have given the police extra resources. Over 400 people have been
charged under the increased penalties that we imposed last year. We believe
this addition, the retail barring orders legislation, will provide another mechanism
or tool in our fight to protect retail workers in Western Australia. I am very
proud to stand here as the Attorney General and know that we are doing what we
can to protect our daughters and sons and also our mothers and fathers.
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