Recidivism

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON (14:58): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Attorney-General regarding recidivism.

Leave granted.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON: Last week, The Advertiser reported that a newly paroled child sex offender was, and I quote, 'caught by an undercover police sting'. The man was arrested last Tuesday and charged with communicating with the intention of procuring a child for sexual activity online and producing child exploitation material. My questions to the minister are:

1. Is the government doing enough to stop recidivist offenders of these sickening offences?

2. Is the four years out of six years maximum sentence the offender received, as reported by The Advertiser, a sufficient deterrent to other individuals who may be looking to offend in a similar nature?

3. What confidence does the Attorney-General have in the justice system preventing members of the South Australian community from being subjected to repeat sexual offenders?

4. What changes to bail conditions is the Attorney-General considering given the increase of reoffending rates?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:59): I thank the honourable member for her question. I will answer I think it was the second-last question first. 'What confidence should South Australia have that the government is doing all they can to protect the community from repeat sexual offenders?' the honourable member asked. I can tell you: they should have much more confidence than they have had before and particularly under the previous government in relation to repeat sexual offenders.

Let me go through one instance of what this government has done in terms of repeat sexual offenders, seeing that the honourable member asked that. We have passed legislation initiated by this government to make sure that repeat serious sexual offenders face indefinite detention and then the possibility of lifetime electronic monitoring. So what is the government doing about repeat sexual offenders? Quite a lot, actually. That is in addition to the many other penalties that have been significantly increased, the work I talked about in protecting children from sexual offenders and predators in the workplace. So what have we done in relation to repeat sexual offenders? Much, much more than the previous government did.

I will take the opportunity while I am here, seeing everyone has asked about it today, to repeat the differences between Labor in government and Liberal in government. I am happy to talk about it again.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: We will go through it again so it is well understood. Liberal in government slash police funds by tens of millions of dollars. Labor in government increases them.