Thursday, 13 November 2025

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:02): My question is to the Attorney. The Queensland government’s ‘adult crime, adult time’ policy covers rape. Why have Labor deliberately excluded rape from their policy?

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:03): I thank the member for his question. What we have been saying consistently now is that what we are seeing is a new type of violent offending that is being committed by children.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, is the Attorney saying that rape is not a violent offence?

The SPEAKER: Order! I remind the member for Brighton about the correct way to raise a point of order. If it is on relevance, I ask you to refer to relevance and relevance only. The Attorney has only been on her feet for 20 seconds.

Sonya KILKENNY: I am actually quite horrified by the member’s comments then, and I will tell you why I am horrified: because no other government has done more to prevent family violence and violence against women.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this question went to why the government has deliberately excluded rape from their policy.

The SPEAKER: I ask you not to repeat the question, member for Brighton. The Attorney to come back to the question.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Brighton, you will be removed from the chamber.

Sonya KILKENNY: I was going to the fact that no other government in the history of this nation has done more for family violence, starting with a royal commission to end family violence in this state. I remind those opposite that we have seen less than support for the 227 recommendations that came out of that royal commission.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will be removed from the chamber without warning.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this question related to the Premier’s policy. This did not relate to a royal commission, it related to the Premier’s policy, and I would ask you to bring her back to the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, on the point of order, the minister has been on her feet for just on 1 minute, and she has been interrupted three times by the member for Brighton with points of order that you have ruled are not points of order. He is continuing to abuse the standing orders in order to silence the Attorney-General. I ask that you rule this point of order out of order.

The SPEAKER: Members are allowed to raise points of order; it is a given. But I do ask members to remember how a point of order should be raised. I have reminded this house repeatedly that I cannot tell a minister on their feet how to answer a question. I can look at the question and see whether they are being relevant. The Attorney was being relevant.

Sonya KILKENNY: I remind the member for Brighton and those opposite that when it comes to family violence and gendered violence in this state, they do not want to talk about it. They do not want to talk about solutions. They do not want to see an end to family violence.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Eildon can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Eildon withdrew from chamber.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Attorney is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Attorney is to come back to the question.

Sonya KILKENNY: What I was saying was that in this state what we have been seeing recently is a new kind of offending that is violent and driving fear and harm in our communities and is being increasingly committed by children. We are responding to that repeated violent offending that is being committed by children. Yesterday I stood proudly with the Premier as we announced this government’s initiative, this reform, to address this violent offending that we are seeing in our communities that is driving fear in families across our state. We have announced under our reform, which is adult time for violent crime, that we will ensure that children who are committing these violent offences will face adult courts and adult sentencing, as they should. It means –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, we are now 2½ minutes into the answer and the Attorney has not actually dealt with the substance of the question, which is why rape has been deliberately excluded.

The SPEAKER: I cannot tell the Attorney how to answer the question. She was being relevant to a policy that was reflected in the question.

Sonya KILKENNY: As I was saying, the reforms we announced yesterday require certain offences to automatically be heard in adult courts, ensuring that children face adult court and adult sentencing. I remind the member for Brighton that in relation to all other offences the Children’s Court can already send any of those matters, including rape, to a higher court where it is warranted.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Brighton can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Brighton withdrew from chamber.

 Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:09): Yesterday the Premier said their policy covers serious, violent and brazen crimes. Why doesn’t this government consider rape to be a serious, violent and brazen crime?

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:09): I think the Leader of the Opposition should be ashamed of himself, and I think the Leader of the Opposition should apologise to Victorians for even raising this matter in the manner in which he has done here in this place.

Brad Rowswell: On a point of order, Speaker, the Attorney is debating the question asked.

The SPEAKER: Attorney, come back to the question.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Frankston can leave the chamber for half an hour. The member for South-West Coast can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Members for Frankston and South-West Coast withdrew from chamber.

Sonya KILKENNY: I fully reject the premise of that question, and I am ashamed of the Leader of the Opposition for raising it in the manner in which he has in this place. I went to this matter in response to the substantive question, where I first of all identified what we are currently seeing with the new and emerging trend regarding violent offending by children in our communities. I also said in my substantive answer that all other violent matters can already be uplifted to adult courts, as they should be, including rape.