❓ A parliamentary question regarding safeguards in the Criminal Investigation (Identifying People) Bill 2001 to prevent misuse of DNA profiles, with the Minister outlining protections for vulnerable individuals and penalties for misuse, and humorously dismissing concerns about cloning.
AnsweredQoN 521Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION (IDENTIFYING PEOPLE) BILL 2001
Will the minister assure the House that appropriate safeguards have been included in the Criminal Investigation (Identifying People) Bill 2001 to protect against the misuse of the DNA profiles? Mrs ROBERTS
Will the minister assure the House that appropriate safeguards have been included in the Criminal Investigation (Identifying People) Bill 2001 to protect against the misuse of the DNA profiles? Mrs ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kimberley for her question and also for some notice of it. I assure members that appropriate safeguards have been included in our DNA legislation. This morning, I outlined that the Gallop Government recognised the need to include proper protection in this legislation. We have expanded on the protection that was in the former Government’s Bill. For example, we have included greater opportunities for people to consent rather than being forced to undergo a procedure. The most vulnerable persons covered by this legislation are children, people with disabilities, people who are unable to consent due to a mental disability or not understanding the request, and those who cannot communicate consent. We have stipulated that a magistrate be authorised to issue a warrant to allow a procedure to be done on a protected person. The Bill also includes severe but appropriate penalties to protect and promote the integrity of information held on the DNA database. The following offences and penalties have been included: improper disclosure of identifying information, two years imprisonment; improper use of identifying information, two years imprisonment; and establishing an unauthorised database, a fine of $250 000. In addition, we have provided that regulations may be enacted to create offences that could attract fines of up to $5 000. Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Kimberley for her question and also for some notice of it. I assure members that appropriate safeguards have been included in our DNA legislation. This morning, I outlined that the Gallop Government recognised the need to include proper protection in this legislation. We have expanded on the protection that was in the former Government’s Bill. For example, we have included greater opportunities for people to consent rather than being forced to undergo a procedure. The most vulnerable persons covered by this legislation are children, people with disabilities, people who are unable to consent due to a mental disability or not understanding the request, and those who cannot communicate consent. We have stipulated that a magistrate be authorised to issue a warrant to allow a procedure to be done on a protected person. The Bill also includes severe but appropriate penalties to protect and promote the integrity of information held on the DNA database. The following offences and penalties have been included: improper disclosure of identifying information, two years imprisonment; improper use of identifying information, two years imprisonment; and establishing an unauthorised database, a fine of $250 000. In addition, we have provided that regulations may be enacted to create offences that could attract fines of up to $5 000. Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
I thank the member for Kimberley for her question and also for some notice of it. I assure members that appropriate safeguards have been included in our DNA legislation. This morning, I outlined that the Gallop Government recognised the need to include proper protection in this legislation. We have expanded on the protection that was in the former Government’s Bill. For example, we have included greater opportunities for people to consent rather than being forced to undergo a procedure. The most vulnerable persons covered by this legislation are children, people with disabilities, people who are unable to consent due to a mental disability or not understanding the request, and those who cannot communicate consent. We have stipulated that a magistrate be authorised to issue a warrant to allow a procedure to be done on a protected person. The Bill also includes severe but appropriate penalties to protect and promote the integrity of information held on the DNA database. The following offences and penalties have been included: improper disclosure of identifying information, two years imprisonment; improper use of identifying information, two years imprisonment; and establishing an unauthorised database, a fine of $250 000. In addition, we have provided that regulations may be enacted to create offences that could attract fines of up to $5 000. Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
I assure members that appropriate safeguards have been included in our DNA legislation. This morning, I outlined that the Gallop Government recognised the need to include proper protection in this legislation. We have expanded on the protection that was in the former Government’s Bill. For example, we have included greater opportunities for people to consent rather than being forced to undergo a procedure. The most vulnerable persons covered by this legislation are children, people with disabilities, people who are unable to consent due to a mental disability or not understanding the request, and those who cannot communicate consent. We have stipulated that a magistrate be authorised to issue a warrant to allow a procedure to be done on a protected person. The Bill also includes severe but appropriate penalties to protect and promote the integrity of information held on the DNA database. The following offences and penalties have been included: improper disclosure of identifying information, two years imprisonment; improper use of identifying information, two years imprisonment; and establishing an unauthorised database, a fine of $250 000. In addition, we have provided that regulations may be enacted to create offences that could attract fines of up to $5 000. Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
The Bill also includes severe but appropriate penalties to protect and promote the integrity of information held on the DNA database. The following offences and penalties have been included: improper disclosure of identifying information, two years imprisonment; improper use of identifying information, two years imprisonment; and establishing an unauthorised database, a fine of $250 000. In addition, we have provided that regulations may be enacted to create offences that could attract fines of up to $5 000. Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Kimberley for her question and also for some notice of it. I assure members that appropriate safeguards have been included in our DNA legislation. This morning, I outlined that the Gallop Government recognised the need to include proper protection in this legislation. We have expanded on the protection that was in the former Government’s Bill. For example, we have included greater opportunities for people to consent rather than being forced to undergo a procedure. The most vulnerable persons covered by this legislation are children, people with disabilities, people who are unable to consent due to a mental disability or not understanding the request, and those who cannot communicate consent. We have stipulated that a magistrate be authorised to issue a warrant to allow a procedure to be done on a protected person. The Bill also includes severe but appropriate penalties to protect and promote the integrity of information held on the DNA database. The following offences and penalties have been included: improper disclosure of identifying information, two years imprisonment; improper use of identifying information, two years imprisonment; and establishing an unauthorised database, a fine of $250 000. In addition, we have provided that regulations may be enacted to create offences that could attract fines of up to $5 000. Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
I thank the member for Kimberley for her question and also for some notice of it. I assure members that appropriate safeguards have been included in our DNA legislation. This morning, I outlined that the Gallop Government recognised the need to include proper protection in this legislation. We have expanded on the protection that was in the former Government’s Bill. For example, we have included greater opportunities for people to consent rather than being forced to undergo a procedure. The most vulnerable persons covered by this legislation are children, people with disabilities, people who are unable to consent due to a mental disability or not understanding the request, and those who cannot communicate consent. We have stipulated that a magistrate be authorised to issue a warrant to allow a procedure to be done on a protected person. The Bill also includes severe but appropriate penalties to protect and promote the integrity of information held on the DNA database. The following offences and penalties have been included: improper disclosure of identifying information, two years imprisonment; improper use of identifying information, two years imprisonment; and establishing an unauthorised database, a fine of $250 000. In addition, we have provided that regulations may be enacted to create offences that could attract fines of up to $5 000. Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
I assure members that appropriate safeguards have been included in our DNA legislation. This morning, I outlined that the Gallop Government recognised the need to include proper protection in this legislation. We have expanded on the protection that was in the former Government’s Bill. For example, we have included greater opportunities for people to consent rather than being forced to undergo a procedure. The most vulnerable persons covered by this legislation are children, people with disabilities, people who are unable to consent due to a mental disability or not understanding the request, and those who cannot communicate consent. We have stipulated that a magistrate be authorised to issue a warrant to allow a procedure to be done on a protected person. The Bill also includes severe but appropriate penalties to protect and promote the integrity of information held on the DNA database. The following offences and penalties have been included: improper disclosure of identifying information, two years imprisonment; improper use of identifying information, two years imprisonment; and establishing an unauthorised database, a fine of $250 000. In addition, we have provided that regulations may be enacted to create offences that could attract fines of up to $5 000. Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
The Bill also includes severe but appropriate penalties to protect and promote the integrity of information held on the DNA database. The following offences and penalties have been included: improper disclosure of identifying information, two years imprisonment; improper use of identifying information, two years imprisonment; and establishing an unauthorised database, a fine of $250 000. In addition, we have provided that regulations may be enacted to create offences that could attract fines of up to $5 000. Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
Indeed, some people have been so concerned about this legislation that they have sought my assurance that the Bill will not be used to allow cloning. Some people have gone further and have asked for guarantees that members of the Opposition will not be cloned using their DNA material. I give an additional guarantee that those people opposite will remain unique. The mere thought that we could have more than one copy of the members opposite, let alone two captain grumpy chops, in the one place is too frightening to contemplate. Besides, the last thing the Liberal Party needs at this point is yet another leadership contender.
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