❓ A parliamentary question regarding the effectiveness of the Liberal-National government's out-of-control parties legislation, with the Minister for Police providing an update on convictions, cost recovery, and police resourcing. The response highlights the government's investment and perceived success of the legislation, while facing interjections and criticism from the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 17Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
OUT-OF-CONTROL
GATHERINGS LEGISLATION
17. Mrs G.J. GODFREY to the
Minister for Police:
I read with interest in today's The West Australian about the success of the Liberal–National
government's out-of-control parties laws. Could the minister please
update the house on the history of this legislation and what has been achieved
since its passage through Parliament? Members opposite might learn something.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
GATHERINGS LEGISLATION
17. Mrs G.J. GODFREY to the
Minister for Police:
I read with interest in today's The West Australian about the success of the Liberal–National
government's out-of-control parties laws. Could the minister please
update the house on the history of this legislation and what has been achieved
since its passage through Parliament? Members opposite might learn something.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Belmont for her question and for her
continued interest in law and order matters on behalf of the constituents of
Belmont.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
thank the member for Albany for his help; it is much appreciated! However, I am
here to answer a question about our out-of-control parties legislation. Members
in the house will be interested to know that in just over a year since that
legislation was passed, there have been six convictions for hosting
out-of-control parties in the state. Three of those six convictions have been
subject to a cost recovery order.
Mr M.P. Murray :
How many were in Peppermint Grove?
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, member for Collie–Preston. It is a very interesting question; you
can ask it later. I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The average value retrieved from the three cost recovery orders against those
who have been charged with and successfully convicted of these offences is $3 517.
That is a good result. Twenty-eight parties have been declared as
out-of-control gatherings since the legislation was passed. We are cautiously
optimistic that we can call this legislation a success.
The state government also put a fair amount of funding
towards ensuring that the police had the tools that they required to enforce
the legislation when we introduced it. We put $1.2 million towards training
more general-purpose police dogs, which are the big dogs that are used for
crowd control. We purchased two buses to remove 14 people at a time from
out-of-control gatherings. We are nearly fully there in the delivery of
training an additional nine police dogs. It takes some time to find police dogs
that are suitable and have the right temperament to be used in this fashion.
Several members interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
hear that those opposite are a little uncomfortable about this out-of-control
parties legislation.
Ms M.M. Quirk : Why
don't you make a brief ministerial statement instead of wasting our
time?
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Member for Girrawheen —
The SPEAKER : Member
for Girrawheen!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Members opposite are very uncomfortable that I am talking about this
legislation. Members will recall that when the legislation was debated in this
house, all sorts of things were going to happen as a result of this legislation.
Our fine professional police force was basically tarred by the opposition
during the debate. The implication that was made was that police were going to
be involved in some kind of jackboot parade through backyard barbecues. I have
some quotes from the member for Midland. She said —
this legislation will not solve
all the problems we face with out-of-control parties. It will not necessarily
stop the parties.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We had two to three out-of-control gatherings a weekend before this legislation
was passed. We are now down to 28 out-of-control parties being declared —
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first time!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The accusation made by the member for Midland was that this was going to be an
empty gesture unless it was backed up by proper police resourcing.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, I call you to order for the second time! I have said before
in the house that if a member refers to another member, that does not give that
member the right to shout across the chamber.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
realise that those opposite are very uncomfortable. The member for Midland said
—
The opposition does not oppose this bill. In doing so, we recognise and
assert that the passage of this legislation will be an empty gesture unless it
is backed up by proper police resourcing.
Guess what? We resourced police appropriately to implement
this legislation. Whenever I talk to police, especially the regional operations
group, which is often deployed to manage out-of-control gatherings, they
repeatedly tell me that they love this legislation. This legislation gives the
police a tool. When they declare a party an out-of-control gathering, they then
give an order for the crowd to disperse. If the crowd does not disperse, the
partygoers will be arrested. The word has gotten out that if people do not
disperse, they will be arrested. We have given police the buses to take people
away from the parties in large numbers. That part of it is working. If a person
is arrested, charged and convicted under this legislation, there will be
consequences. Prior to this legislation passing through the house, there were
no consequences for anybody when they held an out-of-control gathering and
caused disorder.
Mr B.S. Wyatt :
Everybody is uncomfortable now.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Members can be uncomfortable —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : We
are, because of your performance.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time. Minister, will you
please wind this up.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
noticed that there was nothing notable to pull out of the member for Victoria
Park's contribution to the debate. The member for Armadale wanted to
know why we did not include religious gatherings as a category that could be
declared an out-of-control gathering. Members in the house will be pleased to
know that, believe it or not, no religious gatherings have managed to turn into
out-of-control parties. Police have not had to use the legislation to police
out-of-control religious gatherings. We did the right thing in not including
that group in the legislation.
I am very pleased that the member for Belmont has highlighted
this issue, which was affecting the constituents of many members in this house.
People in the suburbs were totally fed up with having these out-of-control
gatherings of young people rampaging through their areas and causing so much
property damage. The legislation was passed and those opposite argued against
it—the world was going to end, police were going to abuse the power,
but none of that happened. The number of out-of-control gatherings in the
community has been reduced. This legislation is acting as a deterrent and there
are consequences for the offenders. This legislation is a success.
continued interest in law and order matters on behalf of the constituents of
Belmont.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
thank the member for Albany for his help; it is much appreciated! However, I am
here to answer a question about our out-of-control parties legislation. Members
in the house will be interested to know that in just over a year since that
legislation was passed, there have been six convictions for hosting
out-of-control parties in the state. Three of those six convictions have been
subject to a cost recovery order.
Mr M.P. Murray :
How many were in Peppermint Grove?
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, member for Collie–Preston. It is a very interesting question; you
can ask it later. I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The average value retrieved from the three cost recovery orders against those
who have been charged with and successfully convicted of these offences is $3 517.
That is a good result. Twenty-eight parties have been declared as
out-of-control gatherings since the legislation was passed. We are cautiously
optimistic that we can call this legislation a success.
The state government also put a fair amount of funding
towards ensuring that the police had the tools that they required to enforce
the legislation when we introduced it. We put $1.2 million towards training
more general-purpose police dogs, which are the big dogs that are used for
crowd control. We purchased two buses to remove 14 people at a time from
out-of-control gatherings. We are nearly fully there in the delivery of
training an additional nine police dogs. It takes some time to find police dogs
that are suitable and have the right temperament to be used in this fashion.
Several members interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
hear that those opposite are a little uncomfortable about this out-of-control
parties legislation.
Ms M.M. Quirk : Why
don't you make a brief ministerial statement instead of wasting our
time?
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Member for Girrawheen —
The SPEAKER : Member
for Girrawheen!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Members opposite are very uncomfortable that I am talking about this
legislation. Members will recall that when the legislation was debated in this
house, all sorts of things were going to happen as a result of this legislation.
Our fine professional police force was basically tarred by the opposition
during the debate. The implication that was made was that police were going to
be involved in some kind of jackboot parade through backyard barbecues. I have
some quotes from the member for Midland. She said —
this legislation will not solve
all the problems we face with out-of-control parties. It will not necessarily
stop the parties.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We had two to three out-of-control gatherings a weekend before this legislation
was passed. We are now down to 28 out-of-control parties being declared —
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first time!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The accusation made by the member for Midland was that this was going to be an
empty gesture unless it was backed up by proper police resourcing.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, I call you to order for the second time! I have said before
in the house that if a member refers to another member, that does not give that
member the right to shout across the chamber.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
realise that those opposite are very uncomfortable. The member for Midland said
—
The opposition does not oppose this bill. In doing so, we recognise and
assert that the passage of this legislation will be an empty gesture unless it
is backed up by proper police resourcing.
Guess what? We resourced police appropriately to implement
this legislation. Whenever I talk to police, especially the regional operations
group, which is often deployed to manage out-of-control gatherings, they
repeatedly tell me that they love this legislation. This legislation gives the
police a tool. When they declare a party an out-of-control gathering, they then
give an order for the crowd to disperse. If the crowd does not disperse, the
partygoers will be arrested. The word has gotten out that if people do not
disperse, they will be arrested. We have given police the buses to take people
away from the parties in large numbers. That part of it is working. If a person
is arrested, charged and convicted under this legislation, there will be
consequences. Prior to this legislation passing through the house, there were
no consequences for anybody when they held an out-of-control gathering and
caused disorder.
Mr B.S. Wyatt :
Everybody is uncomfortable now.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Members can be uncomfortable —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : We
are, because of your performance.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time. Minister, will you
please wind this up.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
noticed that there was nothing notable to pull out of the member for Victoria
Park's contribution to the debate. The member for Armadale wanted to
know why we did not include religious gatherings as a category that could be
declared an out-of-control gathering. Members in the house will be pleased to
know that, believe it or not, no religious gatherings have managed to turn into
out-of-control parties. Police have not had to use the legislation to police
out-of-control religious gatherings. We did the right thing in not including
that group in the legislation.
I am very pleased that the member for Belmont has highlighted
this issue, which was affecting the constituents of many members in this house.
People in the suburbs were totally fed up with having these out-of-control
gatherings of young people rampaging through their areas and causing so much
property damage. The legislation was passed and those opposite argued against
it—the world was going to end, police were going to abuse the power,
but none of that happened. The number of out-of-control gatherings in the
community has been reduced. This legislation is acting as a deterrent and there
are consequences for the offenders. This legislation is a success.
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