Statutes Amendment (Child Sex Offences) Bill – Second Reading Speech

Thursday 7 July 2022 

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (15:53): I rise to speak on the Statutes Amendment (Child Sex Offences) Bill 2022. This bill progresses two important election policies made by this government to increase penalties on a range of child sex offences in the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 and amends section 139A of the CLCA, Carly's Law, to ensure that the offence can apply where the unlawful communication is made to a fictitious child. It also updates the list of registrable offences in the Child Sex Offenders Registration Act 2006. 

The bill is a combination of amendments that were put forward by the previous government that were unfortunately not progressed and aims to protect the community from sex offenders by increasing penalties. We are enacting our Labor policies and commitments, and these penalties are increased for consistency across the commonwealth and properly recognise the severity of the offences. 

As well as raising the penalties on child exploitation material offences, the bill makes changes to age distinction penalties, removing them only in relation to image-based offences. As the proposed maximum penalty is higher than the current aggravated penalty, it will be capable of covering offences in a wide range of circumstances including different age children. 

This distinction removal is largely to decrease the exposure of justice system staff to child exploitation material, as they will no longer need to determine the precise age of the child depicted in order to charge a basic or aggravated offence, and it sends a strong message that sexual exploitation of young people is unacceptable, regardless of age. Importantly, too, we are improving protections for our police officers and committing towards their work health and safety obligations to keep the workers as safe as possible. 

This bill addresses gaps in the current legislation, and we are working hard to protect young children from harm. Whilst parents, carers, teachers and so many in our community do everything we can to protect our children and protect vulnerable people from harm, we cannot be everywhere at all times and observing everything our children do, so this piece of legislation is one that will help to keep our children safe. I am pleased that it will also enable police officers to have the support they need so that they can pursue these matters with confidence. I commend this bill to the house.