Right to Protest

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:57): Supplementary arising from the original answer.

The PRESIDENT: Last supplementary question, because I suspect we will be debating this bill in this place.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Simms, I will listen to your supplementary question.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: Is the minister concerned about the potential for workers, particularly in the Public Service, to be captured under these new laws should they engage in protests and industrial action? In particular, I am thinking of those in the transport space.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:57): I thank the honourable member for his question. It is not an unreasonable question but, as I have said, this does not intend to increase the scope. It certainly absolutely and unapologetically does intend to increase the range of fines a court can impose, but that is not what it intends to do to extend that scope in relation to something people have been doing before. I know people are concerned that public sector workers, particularly those in the emergency services, occasionally put themselves at risk with the actions of some protesters.