Child Sex Offenders

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON (14:54): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General regarding sentencing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: It's reported that, on 31 July this year, you met with Harrison James and Jarad Grice, who are the founders of the Your Reference Ain't Relevant campaign—a campaign the opposition has asked the minister about earlier this year. Harrison and Jarad are both survivors of child sexual abuse and are advocating for barring convicted child sexual abuse predators from accessing character references as a means of lessening their sentences. My questions to the minister are:

1. How many convicted child sex offenders in the last 12 months have submitted character references in mitigation of their sentences?

2. Has the government committed to amending section 11(4) of the Sentencing Act so that convicted perpetrators of child sexual abuse can no longer, as some put it, 'exploit the legal loopholes' that allow them to rely on good character references to mitigate their sentencing?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for her question. I did indeed have the very distinct privilege of meeting with Harrison and Jarad in recent months—two remarkable men who are using their experiences to try to make positive change to make navigating the system and what happens in the criminal justice system easier and better for those who come after them. I pay a great deal of tribute to the work that Harrison and Jarad are undertaking.

As I talked about with Jarad and Harrison, the proposition they are advocating for is something that is being considered right around Australia. It was considered last time all attorneys-general met at the Standing Council of Attorneys-General. It is something I would like to see, if we are making change, as nationally consistent change. But, as I have let Harrison and Jarad know, if for any reason that progress is stalled at a federal level, we are happy to look at doing it in South Australia.