Sonya Ryan blasts Labor for backing away on law designed to protect children from online predators who lie about their age
SONYA Ryan has blasted Labor for flip flopping on its support to give police tough new powers to arrest predators before they harm children.
SONYA Ryan has blasted Labor for flip flopping on its support to give police tough new powers to arrest predators before they harm children.
Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus told Federal Parliament this week that while Labor supported the intent of the Bill, dubbed ‘Carly’s Law’, it was concerned about the effect of some of the measures.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan labelled Labor’s position “turning a blind eye to the vile grooming of online predators”.
Under the proposed changes, adults who prepare for — or plan to — cause harm or engage in sexual activity with a minor by misrepresenting their age face up to 10 years in jail.
Carly’s Law was the result of campaigning from Ms Ryan, whose daughter Carly was murdered in 2007 when, at the age of 15, she met up with a 47-year-old paedophile who had pretended to be 20 years old.
“How many times do I have to sit there and listen to politicians debate how Carly was brutally abused and murdered?” Ms Ryan asked.
“To be exposed to that again and again as her mother and have to say to a committee ‘please don’t let another child suffer like my daughter’.”
Ms Ryan said she had spoken to many police officers who were waiting on the Bill before Parliament to become law so they could use the new powers to prevent harm.
“I met with Bill Shorten he supported Carly’s Law clearly and publicly and he told me he would advise his shadow cabinet to support the Bill,” Ms Ryan said.
“I’m struggling to understand what Labor’s motivation is in stalling Carly’s Law. Is it political?”
Mr Dreyfus raised concerns expressed by the Law Council of Australia that aspects of the Bill “should be treated with caution”.
He said the “preparatory nature” of one of the new offences means it could be triggered before there was any attempt to cause harm, procure or engage in sexual activity with a child.
“I can assure Sonya Ryan, the Nick Xenophon Team and the government that Labor absolutely shares the noble aim of this bill to protect young people online,” he said.
“But we have to make sure that we get this right.”
Labor leader Bill Shorten said: “Carly’s Law is critical and I’m determined to ensure it happens as quickly as possible.”
In 2013, Senator Nick Xenophon introduced ‘Carly’s Law’ into the Senate and, after extensive negotiations, the Government introduced a new version which should have the number of votes needed to pass Parliament without Labor’s support.
NXT Senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore said this version of Carly’s Law was drafted after close consultation with the AFP to ensure it gives police the powers to intervene sooner.
“Laws which criminalise the planning or preparation stage of an offence are not unheard of in Australia,” she said.
Mr Keenan said politicians could not sit back and allow predators to prey on children online.
“This legislation will give police the power to intervene before these depraved criminals have a chance to act,” he said.
“Labor’s failure to support this legislation is tantamount to turning a blind eye to the vile grooming of online predators.”