SECURITY AND INVESTIGATION AGENTS (MISCELLANEOUS) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 7 March 2013.)

The Hon. S.G. WADE (17:07): I rise on behalf of the Liberal opposition to indicate our support for the Security and Investigation Agents (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2013. Each state and territory is responsible for the regulation of the private security industry within its jurisdiction. On 3 July 2008, the Council of Australian Governments agreed to adopt a nationally consistent approach to regulating the private security industry. These reforms are intended to improve the probity associated with licensing, competence and skills of security personnel and the mobility of security licences across jurisdictions.

COAG agreed that the following should be activities that are able to be licensed: general guarding, crowd or venue control, guarding with a dog, guarding with a firearm, monitoring centre operations, bodyguarding, and training. COAG also agreed the minimum criminal exclusions in determining a person's suitability to hold a security licence, minimum standards for identification and probity checks, agreed competency and skills requirements, and the introduction of provisional and temporary licences.

Almost three years after COAG had agreed to adopt a nationally consistent approach, on 3 March 2011, the Attorney-General published a version of the proposed legislation—the Security and Investigation Agents (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2011. True to the government's consultative style, the public and industry were given one month to provide comments. At the time the government said that it intended that the legislation to implement the reforms would be introduced in the first half of 2011, but this bill is being considered by this parliament almost five years after the ink dried on the COAG agreement and two years after the reforms were released and the government promised us a bill.

That it takes five years to implement nationally agreed reforms is indicative of a tired government. The people have given this government 12 years; the slow progress of this bill shows why they should not give it 16. The Liberal opposition supports the reforms contained in this bill, especially those which will require a person who personally provides security training to hold an appropriate security trainer's licence. The bill also expands the concept of whether a person is a fit and proper person to hold a licence or be the director of a body corporate that holds a licence under the bill.

I note that South Australia's existing licensing scheme already provides for six of the eight offences which COAG decided would disqualify somebody from holding a licence under the reforms. I understand the additional offences are dishonesty and terrorism offences. Appropriately, the bill provides that a person will be disqualified from holding a licence where they have been found guilty of the applicable offence and a conviction was not recorded.

In his second reading contribution, the Attorney-General stated that the government intends to undertake further consultation before commencing the provisions relating to provisional licensing and temporary licences. In the briefing provided to me by the government, I was advised that the government is holding off commencing these provisions so that other jurisdictions can implement reforms so that interstate licensees who seek temporary licences are subject to the same probity standards. On behalf of the Liberal opposition, I commend the bill to the council and support its passage.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. G.A. Kandelaars.

At 17:11 the council adjourned until Wednesday 20 March 2013 at 14:15.