House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-16 Daily Xml

Contents

COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:49): Supplementary: under which part of the act will it be an offence? I put it to the Attorney that it would be very hard for us to pursue someone having taken a photograph in a supermarket if we don't know what we are actually pursuing them for.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (14:49): I can't answer what section it might be. I hear what the police commissioner is suggesting: that we look at whether there might be an offence in relation to taking that information. I just remind members that every one of us has a camera in our hand and taking photographs, which any one of us does at any time, in itself isn't necessarily an offence. What becomes very much an offence in our law at present relates to the publication or disclosure of information from that.

As the member would remember, being a long-time member in the parliament, there are a number of offences now that relate to the publishing, placing on the internet or distribution of photographs, children in school yards and all these sorts of things. There is a lot of law around the publication or disclosure of that information.

I will wait until I see what the police commissioner sends me in relation to taking a photograph of itself, but I don't disagree with the member on how difficult that might be if there is going to be an offence. If it is recommended by the police commissioner that we do, of course we will look at that with interest and obviously assess whether that is something that is either practical or appropriate.