GRAFFITI CONTROL (SALE OF GRAFFITI IMPLEMENTS) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 14 February 2008. Page 2089.)

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (10:54): I commend the member for Fisher for this motion. It is deplorable to see our beautiful city being continually vandalised. Over the years, we have tried to do several things to try to stop, or at least discourage, people (usually young people) from vandalising and putting graffiti on many of our public assets. One thing we did many years ago was to restrict the use of spray cans. I think that we really need to clamp down in this respect, and people who are caught certainly need to be dealt with very harshly.

I agree with the member for Fisher that this is not a new issue for this parliament. I have to say that I do not think we are winning the war against graffiti. Last Monday, I travelled on public transport for the first time in quite a while, and I was quite horrified to see the amount of graffiti in the train. It is very distressing to see, and one wonders whether the authorities, after a while, just give up on not only the painted graffiti but also the scratched graffiti on windows.

It also upsets me to see windows scratched in new shopping centres. It is, of course, impossible to remove the scratches, so the panes of glass have to be replaced. I despair that this continues to happen. I do not know what the answer is to stop this from happening. If we catch these people, do we provide a deterrent by applying huge imposts? Do we gaol these people? What do we do with them? They are vandals and they are usually delinquent. They can often be homeless and they are usually in a distinct age group. This is an age-old problem. I understand and support the member for Fisher in his frustration in relation to this issue.

This bill talks about the sale of graffiti implements. Currently hardware shops that sell spray cans display them behind secure mesh shelving. You cannot get them off the shelf; you have to get an attendant with a key to get them out. I understand that the member for Fisher, in this particular instance, wants also to include felt pens and such things as that. I have a greater concern with that, because I use felt pens a lot. It is easy to mark anything with a felt pen, be it a piece of steel, or whatever, and a lot of farmers carry felt pens in their pockets. I am not sure exactly what the member for Fisher is trying to include in the list of graffiti implements, but certainly it is things that cause destruction.

Diamond-tip glass cutters should be included in this category because they mark glass very easily and they are small enough to fit in a pocket. I think that the sale of glass cutters ought to be controlled because some of the marks appearing on glass have obviously been made by a commercial instrument such as this, not just by a diamond ring as used to be the case. So, these things should not be available to the general public. A person purchasing such implements should have a valid reason for doing so, whether it be a tradesperson or anyone else, and they should certainly be of a certain age.

I acknowledge that it is up to shop assistants as to whether they sell these implements or spray cans. In the past, I have often sent my children to the shop to buy spray cans for me, because I use them all the time. I am what you would call a painter of convenience. I do not have time to mix paint or wash the spray gun, so spray cans—even though they are quite expensive—are a way that I am able to do some quick paint and patch-up or repair jobs around the house and farm. I buy a lot of spray cans.

The Hon. R.G. Kerin interjecting:

Mr VENNING: I heard the comment from the member for Frome, but I will not repeat it. It is a sad situation, and I do not know what is in the mind of these young people. I know that we have taggers out there who want to leave their mark everywhere, and I am most concerned. My party has had discussions on this matter, particularly in the previous parliament. The then member for Bright was very passionate about the issue and we spent hours and hours discussing this problem. What motivates these young people—and they are usually (but not always) young people—to do this, I do not know, and I do not know whether a psychologist could provide the answer. If the minister would like to arrange a briefing on this matter, I would be happy to come along.

It sickens me when I take a ride on public transport and go through the Islington rail yards and see all the stationary trains vandalised and with graffiti on them. I just despair that this is happening, yet we seem to be sitting back and doing nothing about it. Is our inaction giving these people the ability to continue? I think that we should address it.

I commend the member for Fisher for raising this matter, not just on this occasion but also on other occasions. I hope that when he makes his final speech he will spell out quite clearly his definition of 'graffiti implement', because I am not quite sure what it is. I know that it is spray cans, and I know that it is probably glass cutters, but if he includes felt-tip pens I think that would be a difficulty. I support the member for Fisher and his bill.

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (11:01): I move:

That this order of the day be discharged.

Motion carried.