1. Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) Link to this
to the Member in charge of the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Bill
Will she consider proposing amendments to the Crimes (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill to include a defence for parents acting to restrain their children; if so, what form will this amendment take?
SUE BRADFORD (Member in charge of the Crimes (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill) Link to this
Yes, I am considering supporting an amendment to my bill to repeal section 59 of the Crimes Act. One of the amendments that I am looking at supporting is to amend the bill so that the bill makes it clear that parents would not be breaking the law if, for example, they were to restrain their child where the child was about to attack people or property, where the child was in danger, or where the parent was putting the child into a room for time out.
Yes, I am considering at least one other amendment, if not more amendments, to the bill. But that is part of the normal select committee process, and I look forward to working with other members of the Justice and Electoral Committee on amendments. I also welcome the opportunity to speak with the member about this matter in more detail, should he so desire.
Chester Borrows
Madam SPEAKERNormally, with questions to members there is one supplementary question. I will take Mr Borrows’ question, but no more questions after that.
Will the member agree that most groups, both for and against the repeal of section 59 of the Crimes Act, want the same three things: to send the message that child abuse is wrong, to stop those who seriously assault their children from hiding behind section 59 of that Act, and to prevent good parents who lightly smack their children from being liable to prosecution; will she support such an amendment to her bill because it is not only desirable but also necessary to achieve those objectives?
I think that most, if not all, submitters on the bill and most MPs would support the first two propositions. The third is more debatable. As to the question of amendments, those will be considered in detail in the select committee, of which the member is a member. So he can be part of working on those amendments with us.