CRIMINAL LAW CONSOLIDATION (LOOTING) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Second reading.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (21:21): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I rise today to speak briefly on the Criminal Law Consolidation (Looting) Amendment Bill 2010. The bill seeks to amend the Criminal Law Consolidation Act to adopt aggravated penalties for looting in not only the circumstances where an emergency declaration is in force but also where there has been advice to put in place a bushfire action plan.

The opposition strongly supports the efforts of the member for Davenport (Hon. Iain Evans) in bringing this issue to the attention of the parliament. As the honourable member explained in his second reading contribution in the other place, this bill was introduced in response to bushfires in South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria where there were reports of people scavenging through people's half-burnt houses and businesses and stealing from them.

This issue is particularly relevant in consideration of the disasters that have occurred throughout Australia in recent years, from the bushfires in Victoria, to the floods and Cyclone Yasi in Queensland. It is a sad fact that during such difficult times for communities some people prey on the misfortune and vulnerability of others by looting homes and businesses.

We saw this not only in the Victorian experience but also in the wake of the Queensland floods. In Victoria, the bushfires of Black Saturday on 7 February 2009 led to the death of 175 people yet, even in the aftermath of such a great tragedy, reports of looting still surfaced. In Queensland, looting was identified as a major problem after the flooding early this year, with Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett stating that, 'One of the many pressures people face is uncertainty about the security of their property and homes and businesses and their incapacity to protect what they own.'

It is incumbent on this parliament to protect people affected by such tragedies through the imposition of appropriate penalties. This bill does just that by treating theft and robbery as aggravated offences when committed during an emergency situation. This would mean that the penalty for theft would increase from 10 years for a basic offence to 15 years for an aggravated offence and, for robbery, from 15 years to life imprisonment. These changes would reflect the abhorrence with which the parliament and society regard such behaviour.

Given the government's initial opposition to this bill, I congratulate the Hon. Iain Evans for continuing to pursue this important issue and for reaching a bipartisan policy outcome as reflected in the vote in the House of Assembly. I commend the bill to the house and hope that it might receive a similarly warm reception in this place.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. Carmel Zollo.