Bills

Sentencing (Home Detention) Amendment Bill

Introduction and First Reading

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (10:33): On behalf of Mr Malinauskas, obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to amend the Sentencing Act 2017. Read a first time.

Second Reading

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (10:34): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Hon. V.A. Chapman: Where is your leader?

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier knows that it is not in order to reflect on members who may or may not be in the chamber, and I call her to order.

The Hon. V.A. Chapman: Sorry.

Mr ODENWALDER: Kick her out. Ask her to leave, sir. It is the most important job of government to keep its community safe. Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition attempted to suspend standing orders in order to introduce this bill. It was stymied by the government then, and I take great pleasure in introducing it now. I hope that it has a speedy passage through this house, not only for the residents of Pasadena but for the residents of South Australia generally.

All of us who care about law and order in this state, all of us who care about community safety, will be aware of Mr Vivian Deboo and his threat to the people of Pasadena, and indeed to the children of Pasadena. We need to take urgent action now. We need to take action in this place. I read yesterday that the Attorney was taking some action of her own. I look forward to seeing that, but we could solve this problem here and now.

We could pass this bill, which builds on the foundation of the last few years of parliament in reforming the Sentencing Act and in making sure that the people who should be on home detention are on home detention and that the people who should be in prison are in prison. We are tidying up that act again. We are doing a bit of extra work. It is a very simple change.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right, please!

Mr ODENWALDER: It is as simple as the drug offences bills that I bring to this place, which could overnight change police powers in order to investigate serious drug offences. It is as simple as the bill that would dramatically increase the penalties for people who deliberately threaten life by dropping rocks off bridges. It is as simple as that, but it is much more important than any of those bills. This is about—

The Hon. V.A. Chapman: Perhaps you should have been a minister in the last government.

The SPEAKER: Order! I would like to hear the member for Elizabeth, please.

Mr ODENWALDER: I will not comment on that. I hope to hear other members speak on the bill and support it. I know that members of the government will support it. What it does is simply change the Sentencing Act so that people who have committed a certain class of offences, i.e. serious child sex offences, do not go free into the community, do not get home detention and are not, in fact, at risk of dropping off the radar for 30 hours, as we saw several weeks ago regarding people on home detention on parole. We do not want a situation where people like Mr Deboo drop off the radar for 30 hours. I commend the bill to the house and urge the opposition to rethink its position, to support it today and to pass it quickly through this house.

Mr Murray interjecting:

Mr ODENWALDER: Sorry, I am getting ahead of myself.

The SPEAKER: The member for Davenport is called to order.

Mr ODENWALDER: This bill deserves speedy passage through this house. I hope that it gets speedy passage through this house and I hope that the government sees sense and supports it.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr Pederick.