Community safety
260. Mr Ron Sao to the Attorney General:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's ongoing commitment to ensuring community safety.
(1) Can the Attorney General update the house on how the Cook Labor government is continuing to support the safety of all Western Australians?
(2) Can he outline to the house how it is dealing with individuals who seek to glorify criminal behaviour and re-traumatise victims via social media?
Dr Tony Buti replied:
(1)–(2) I thank the member for the question and for his strong advocacy for community safety for his constituents. We yesterday, along with the police minister, announced that this week we are introducing into Parliament new laws called "post and boast laws", which are all geared towards preventing and criminalising the distribution of material that will humiliate, intimidate and victimise a person who has been subjected to a crime and that is shared with the intention of increasing the reputation and glorifying a person who has carried out the offending behaviour. It would be great to say that social media outlets are doing this themselves, but they are not—so that is why the Cook Labor government has stepped into this space. Those who are found guilty of these offences can serve up to three years in jail. We will also give the courts the power to impose a rectification order, which means they need to take down the offending material. If they refuse to do so, that may lead to a 12-month incarceration period or a $12,000 fine. Plus, for every day that the material is not taken down, subject to that order, a $200 fine will be imposed. That $200 fine per day will not apply to children because of their economic means. We are really serious about saying, "No, we do not want criminal activity to be glorified", and saying no to the re-traumatisation of victims of crime. We are a government that is victim focused when it comes to our law and order agenda. These new "post and boast laws" will go a long way to ensure that that part of the suite of laws that we have in place can help victims and try to reduce the amount of criminal activity posted on media outlets.
