Thursday, 10 March 2022

Child sex offenders

Mr GRIMLEY (Western Victoria) (12:27): My question is for the Minister for Higher Education, representing the Minister for Police in the other place. The government’s response to the management of sex offenders report has just been released. It was a little underwhelming in a number of respects, including that not accepting the full recommendations in my opinion was very contentious. Two of these are that the Victorian government ask the Victorian Law Reform Commission to explore a limited disclosure scheme similar to those in the UK and Western Australia and also that the Victorian government provide annual funding to access preventative education programs to ensure kids stay protected. The government’s response was that they support these recommendations in principle, but the Victorian public disclosure scheme was introduced in 2017 and they tried to assimilate this to the WA and UK schemes, which are completely different. They also said in response to the education recommendation that Respectful Relationships essentially covers what the inquiry explored, and this at best is a stretch. Will the minister ask the Attorney-General to make this referral to the VLRC and commit to this annual funding?

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:28): I thank Mr Grimley for his question and his ongoing interest in and commitment to the issue of dealing with sex offenders. This matter will be referred to the Minister for Police, and I am sure that she will respond to you according to the standing orders.

Mr GRIMLEY (Western Victoria) (12:28): Thanks, Minister. The timing of the release of the government’s response to the recommendations was very interesting. On the day we received the news about the government’s response to the recommendations, the South Australian Labor Party announced a suite of fantastic policies if they were to win the South Australian election. These include a commitment to a public child sex offender register, new laws to keep child sex offenders in prison until they prove they can control their instincts, lifetime electronic monitoring for serious child sex offenders when they are released from prison and strengthening penalties for child sexual offending, including online offences. Minister, can you explain the very stark difference in policies on a public child sex offender register between this government and the same party across the border in South Australia?

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:29): I thank Mr Grimley for his question. Of course it is a bit of a stretch to compare a government to election commitments that are happening in another state. Regardless, I will refer the question to the Minister for Police for an answer.