Page 2768 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 6 June 2012

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There could be all sorts of arguments put up as to what kind of a deterrent it will be. Of course, we could take away any penalties for virtually any offence on the basis that it is not going to be a deterrent. We could say, “Well, we don’t need an offence for assault because people are unlikely to be thinking about the offence when they assault someone.” But we as a community have serious penalties in some cases for assaults, and when it comes to assaults on police officers we believe they should be treated as aggravated offences to demonstrate their seriousness.

There can be all sorts of arguments about whether or not you make it a special offence for assaults against police or whether you make it an aggravated offence. But, in the end, there is a fundamental question, and the Assembly is making a fundamental decision here: do you want to support police with tougher penalties for a range of offences against police or not? We hear, unfortunately, from the Labor Party and the Greens that they do not want to. They can make all sorts of spurious arguments. They can put all sorts of furphies out there, but, in the end, what are they going to do to actually back up our police officers?

We are very disappointed that this legislation will not be supported today. It defies logic that we have a situation where two parties in this place are saying they are satisfied with the level of support our police are getting from the law. Go and speak to the police who are out on the front line and see what kind of response you get if you put that to them. I have spoken to many of them in various forms, and many of them have approached me specifically. When we put forward this legislation we had police officers stopping us in the street and thanking us for doing it.

We should respect the role police play. This would be a very important way to do it. Would it stop all assaults on police? Well, no, it would not. Would it mean that when someone commits an assault they are more likely to get a serious punishment, the kind of punishment it actually deserves? Yes, it would. That is what it would have done. Over time we believe that would provide a level of protection for our police.

I am very disappointed. I commend the bill to the Assembly. I think it should be supported. It deserves to be supported, and our police officers deserve the support of this Assembly. They will continue to have it from the Canberra Liberals. We will find other ways to make sure they get the kind of protection they deserve.

Question put:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the negative.

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