Page 3280 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 10 November 2021
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“All this draft bill was trying to achieve was a fair and balanced judicial process, once a matter went to court. Instead, the Attorney-General has sided with those who assault first responders.”
The AFPA questions the Attorney-General’s reasoning for not supporting the Canberra Liberals’ bill, and expects supporting evidence to be made available.
The AFPA also rejects the Attorney-General’s statement implying that First Nations peoples are more likely to assault police officers or paramedics.
Mr Caruana said that people would continue to have been allowed to apply for bail under the Liberals’ proposed bill, and that the AFPA does not want to see people locked up without due process.
Over the last few months, four ACT Policing officers have been hospitalised due to assaults. Three of these officers were attacked and seriously injured by an alleged offender on bail for assaulting first responders on a previous occasion.
I will say that again: three of these officers were attacked and seriously injured by an alleged offender on bail for assaulting first responders on a previous occasion. The statement went on:
“The AFPA is asking for an even and balanced judicial process when an offender is arrested and charged for assaulting a frontline worker. I highly doubt there would be a miscarriage of justice or over-representation as claimed by the Attorney-General. Ultimately, the court could still grant bail.
“As it stands right now, Director of Public Prosecutions prosecutors have to fight to remand someone who assaults a first responder with one hand tied behind their back.
“We believe that the alleged offender and their legal representatives should have to prove why they deserve bail. Bail for serious and violent offences such as assaulting a first responder should be a privilege, not a right and near certainty.” Mr Caruana said.
That is what our first responders are saying, and Mr Rattenbury should well remember that their comments are not in any way a criticism of the Canberra Liberals; they are a criticism that has been made by Mr Rattenbury of our police. It is not us, ultimately, who would be the beneficiaries of this, and it is the AFPA who have instigated this and tried to put this forward. So when Mr Rattenbury raises his concerns and his criticisms of this, in essence he is criticising, disappointingly, the position of the AFPA.
We have been working on bail reform for many years, and I think that this is an important step along that long road. In my developing this bill, I would like to thank the Australian Federal Police Association, who have provided professional feedback and support and, as I said, have been arguing for this important reform. I would like to thank brave individuals who have come forward with their own stories, such as former police officer Jason Taylor. I spoke about him in my tabling speech. Jason would be here today, but the Assembly is not open in the gallery. I know that he is
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