❓ Mr. L'Estrange questions the Attorney General on a commitment to pass legislation regarding assaults against seniors before Parliament rises. The Attorney General declines to guarantee passage due to the Legislative Council's current composition and workload.
AnsweredQoN 617Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SENIORS — ASSAULTS AGAINST
617. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Attorney General:
I have a supplementary question. I thank the Attorney General
for that answer, but he did not commit to passing these important changes to
the legislation before Parliament rises. Can he give a commitment that he will
make these changes before Parliament rises this year?
617. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Attorney General:
I have a supplementary question. I thank the Attorney General
for that answer, but he did not commit to passing these important changes to
the legislation before Parliament rises. Can he give a commitment that he will
make these changes before Parliament rises this year?
AnswerView source ↗
As I have said, they are under active consideration and
penalties for assaults on the elderly are under active consideration. I cannot
give an undertaking that they will pass Parliament this year because of the
list of bills that are before Parliament.
How can we possibly guarantee the public of Western Australia that any bill
will pass through Parliament this year whilst the upper house sits on a swathe
of legislation and is more concerned with spending three hours debating my
suitability to be Attorney General than with passing legislation? It is
absolutely absurd. The member has come in here to ask whether I can guarantee
the passage of a particular piece of legislation through the Legislative
Council, but I cannot, because there is a cabal of Liberal members in the upper
house who block legislation and absolutely blocked the reappointment of the
Corruption and Crime Commission by engaging in a cover-up of an investigation
into its conduct. I cannot guarantee the passage of any particular legislation
with the upper house constituted as it currently is. I do note that the Liberal
Party is reforming the membership of the upper house by dropping Hon Michael
Mischin and Hon Simon O'Brien down to number six. The Liberal Party is
engaging in a cleaning-out of some of these dinosaurs from the upper
house, but until the upper house is reconstituted, I cannot guarantee the
passage of any particular legislation.
penalties for assaults on the elderly are under active consideration. I cannot
give an undertaking that they will pass Parliament this year because of the
list of bills that are before Parliament.
How can we possibly guarantee the public of Western Australia that any bill
will pass through Parliament this year whilst the upper house sits on a swathe
of legislation and is more concerned with spending three hours debating my
suitability to be Attorney General than with passing legislation? It is
absolutely absurd. The member has come in here to ask whether I can guarantee
the passage of a particular piece of legislation through the Legislative
Council, but I cannot, because there is a cabal of Liberal members in the upper
house who block legislation and absolutely blocked the reappointment of the
Corruption and Crime Commission by engaging in a cover-up of an investigation
into its conduct. I cannot guarantee the passage of any particular legislation
with the upper house constituted as it currently is. I do note that the Liberal
Party is reforming the membership of the upper house by dropping Hon Michael
Mischin and Hon Simon O'Brien down to number six. The Liberal Party is
engaging in a cleaning-out of some of these dinosaurs from the upper
house, but until the upper house is reconstituted, I cannot guarantee the
passage of any particular legislation.
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