Hannah Clarke's parents continue to push for laws to combat coercive control
The parents of murdered Brisbane mum Hannah Clarke will keep pushing for coercive control laws in other states and territories after Queensland’s parliament passed reforms this week. LIVE POLITICS BLOG
Madura McCormack Stephanie Bennett James Hall Jack McKay
less than 2 min read
February 23, 2023 - 10:07AM
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - FEBRUARY 23, 2023. Sue and Lloyd Clarke, parents of murder and domestic violence victim Hanna Clarke, speak during a press conference to discuss the passing of the Domestic and Family Violence Protection (Combating Coercive Control) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022.Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled
The parents of murdered Brisbane mum Hannah Clarke have vowed to keep pushing for other states and territories to implement laws combating coercive control after Queensland’s parliament passed the first package of reforms this week.
Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said other jurisdictions were “looking to Queensland” on the work being done on the landmark Hear Her Voice report released by the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce in December 2021.
The law changes passed by parliament on Wednesday afternoon ensure a broader range of actions will be captured under the state’s stalking laws and pave the way for coercive control to be made a stand-alone offence by the end of the year.
Hannah’s parents, Sue and Lloyd Clarke, hope this will be achieved before her birthday in September.
Contacting someone in any way using any technology – such as by telephone, SMS, and social networks – will be captured under the widened unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment and abuse laws.
Tracking or surveilling a person’s movements without their consent have also been captured under the new laws.
This could include checking someone’s internet browsing history, reading their text messages, tracking someone by drone, or monitoring another person’s emails.
The definition of domestic and family violence will also be widened under the reforms so that it takes into account a pattern of behaviour over time.
Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman (inset) said the new laws were a “significant step” towards the government’s commitment to legislating against coercive control.
“We know how dangerous these behaviours can be,” Ms Fentiman said.
“This is about identifying and responding to the red flags of coercive control earlier before blue police tape surrounds another family home.”
Sue and Lloyd Clarke are expected to travel to South Australia this year to lobby the Labor government there to introduce coercive control legislation.
Ms Fentiman said the laws passed on Wednesday were “a fantastic first step in making sure we can better protect women (and achieve) national consistency”.
Updates
Paying respects to trio slain in Wieambilla 'religiously motivated' terrorist attack
Question Time has ended. The Parliament is now speaking on a condolence motion for the three victims of the Wieambilla shooting.
Constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, were shot dead, along with bystander Alan Dare, 58 at a property outside Chinchilla on the Western Downs in December while looking for former school principal Nathaniel Train.
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos – FEBRUARY 23, 2023. Queensland Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard speaks during Question Time in Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled
After a barrage of questions on police, Opposition child safety spokeswoman Amanda Camm has returned to another hot topic in parliament this week.
Ms Camm cited an ABC report featuring a child safety officer who was overseeing the Kerri-Ann Conley case that involved the eventual death of toddlers left in an overheated car.
Toddlers Darcey Conley, aged two-and-a-half, and her little sister 18-month-old Chloe-Ann were left strapped inside their car seats for nine hours between 4am and 1pm on November 23, 2019 in temperatures as high as 61.5C.
The child safety officer said, according to the ABC, the tragic deaths could have been avoided if she wasn’t forced to manage 20 children at the same time.
In light of this, Ms Camm asked Children Minister Leanne Linard if the government was willing to admit it was failing “to keep Queensland children safe”?
Ms Linard said the Palaszczuk government had invested to bolster services to better manage child safety concerns but she also noted demand for these services was increasing.
She said the child safety officers were responding faster and they “are working with families longer”.
“I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge them every single day,” Ms Linard said.
– James Hall
Mark Ryan wiggles out of police numbers questioning
Another question from the LNP on police numbers for Mr Ryan – this time from Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki. He says the Minister told last week's Toowoomba's crime forum police numbers were up – when leaked police numbers have reduced by 39 since 2015. "Did the Police Minister know there was a reduction in actual police FTE's when he made this?" he asks. Mr Ryan says the LNP haven't spoken to "how the police force structures its workforce and how it counts their numbers" – saying there is a difference between divisional, district and central police numbers. He says police will be reclassified, and new police stations and taskforces could shift the numbers.
– Stephanie Bennett
'I am not the pink Wiggle': Education Minister Grace Grace
Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace joined by The Wiggles to launch a new song and electrical safety campaign, Boondall. Picture: Liam Kidston
Education Minister Grace Grace, otherwise known as God’s gift to Question Time, is answering a dixer on electrical safety and has used this time to quash a rumour that she may be the new pink Wiggle. Ms Grace, in December last year, appeared alongside The Wiggles to announce a new electrical safety campaign directed at children. She also joined them on stage, of which footage exists here. She reminded everyone about the three year partnership (excluding the point that it’s costing us nearly half a million dollars) and the importance of teaching children electrical safety. “There is no truth in the rumour that I am the pink Wiggle,” Ms Grace said, answering the question we deserve but didn’t ask. “It was great performing the song and I loved every minute of it.”
'I've answered the question' Premier says, while not answering the question
LNP police spokesman Dale Last has continued with the line of questioning about police numbers. He asked Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk if the government was on track to reach its commitment to recruit an additional 1,450 police officers by 2025. Ms Palaszczuk did not directly answer the question. However, she outlined some of the strategies the government had adopted in their efforts to boost police numbers. And she also pointed out there was a labour shortage. "I've answered the question and now I'm comparing our record with your record," Ms Palaszczuk said, as she proceeded to read out news articles about police numbers under the former LNP government. "We will not be cutting resources like those opposite."
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos – FEBRUARY 23, 2023. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during Question Time in Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled
The Opposition continues to press the Premier on police numbers.
Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie quizzed the government about the reduction in staff at a number of stations across the state.
He asked the Premier to explain the recruitment issue in the context of being “in the middle of a crime crisis”.
In response, Ms Palaszczuk said “look in the mirror” in reference to the infamous cuts of the public service by the former LNP state government under Campbell Newman.
She also rolled out an old favourite for the state government – reminding the parliament Mr Bleijie “sat around the cabinet table and they actually made a deliberate decision” to cut staff at services in Queensland.
(It should be noted that Campbell Newman, and the LNP, have not been in government since January 31, 2015)
Question Time has kicked off, and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has seized on The Courier-Mail's exclusive report about the Palaszczuk Government falling short of its election promise to recruit 1450 additional police by 2025. "Can the Premier confirm at this rate it will take 32 years to deliver on her police promise?" he asks. Ms Palaszczuk points to Police Minister Mark Ryan's earlier statement on this hot topic to the house – but doesn't miss the chance to launch into an attack on the former Newman government. "We absolutely support the police service in this state – we know what those opposite did," she said. "(They) sacked 110 police officers – so don't come in here and lecture us." The Premier is now launching into the Newman track record – saying I don't think those opposite should talk about frontline services. "We can keep reminding Queensland, Campbell Newman and (Crisafulli) sat around the cabinet table … when they took the decision to cut 110 senior officers," she said. Mr Crisafulli lobs a second question in the same vein – this time asking "will the Premier guarantee this promise made to Queenslanders will be kept?" The Premier is making the most of these questions, using the topic as a way to run through a greatest hits of news articles about police cuts while the LNP was last in power. Speaker Curtis Pitt tells her to wrap it up. "Yes, we will support our police," she says.
The theme of Question Time today appears to Queensland Police staffing numbers. The Courier-Mail exclusively revealed today, through leaked internal staffing data, how the state government has fallen behind on its election pledge to boost the Queensland Police Service by 1450 officers by 2025. As part of this the government did confirm it had struck a deal with the Commonwealth to access hundreds of international recruits to bolster its police force. Police Minister Mark Ryan, before Question Time kicked off, defended the recruitment of police in Queensland following leaked staffing data. The data revealed the QPS headcount had only grown by less than 100 officers between the time the government was re-elected in late 2020. The data outlined in the report was live up until the end of December, and Mr Ryan told parliament the force had been bolstered by hundreds of new cadets and recruits in recent weeks and have more in the pipeline. “Only two weeks ago, Mr Speaker, another 89 recruits graduated from our police academy and … you'll be very pleased to hear that lots more are on the way," he said. “I'm advised there are currently 345 recruits undergoing training at our Townsville and Brisbane police academies.” Mr Ryan said there were about 140 recruits due to start in May and dozens more in June.
Final sitting day: Good morning and things you may have missed
It’s thankfully the final day of the first sitting week of 2023, because the gods of democracy show mercy on our souls.
Here’s a few things you may have missed from earlier this morning.
Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman held a press conference this morning to mark the first tranche of coercive control laws passing on Wednesday. She was asked about raising the age of criminal responsibility and reiterated Queensland’s desire for a “nationally consistent” approach to raising the age to 12 from 10. The NT government has already passed laws and from 2024 the age of criminal responsibility there will be 12. The ACT will gradually raise the age, hitting 14 by 2027. The Tasmanian (Liberal) government said it would lift the minimum age for jailing children to 14 but leave the age of criminal responsibility at 10.
The major Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline project has been approved for construction by the state government. At nearly $1bn, the pipeline is designed to provide a long-term solution to water security in the Gladstone region. A decision on the project was originally expected to be made by mid-2022.
Brisbane will host the “World Mining Congress” in late June this year, the first time the event has been held in Australia. Resources Minister Scott Stewart is particularly stoked about this.
State political reporters Jack McKay, James Hall, Stephanie Bennett and Madura McCormack coming to you live from Queensland Parliament house. Let's go.
Police are set to update the public on their investigation into the serious assault of a nine-month-old baby who was doused in hot coffee in a Brisbane park last month.
A magistrate slapped a non-publication order on every youth crime case in his courtroom, flying in the face of new laws aimed at lifting the veil of secrecy on juvenile proceedings.
