DANGEROUS SEXUAL OFFENDERS — ELECTION
COMMITMENTS
554. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the Leader of the House
representing the Attorney General:
I refer to the Supreme Court's release of the
dangerous sex offender referred to as MGD on a supervision order.
(1) Will the
Attorney General now introduce laws to meet his pre-election promises to
reverse the onus of proof to make all dangerous sex offenders prove that they
will abide by every single condition of a supervision order, rather than just
substantially comply with the standard orders; ensure that a dangerous sex
offender who breaches any condition of a supervision order will be held in
custody without bail pending his case being dealt with, without exception; and
advise the public when, and to where, dangerous sex offenders are released?
(2) Will the
Attorney General introduce laws to empower the Attorney General to overrule
decisions of the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to dangerous sex
offenders or to appeal decisions to release dangerous sex offenders, as he
insisted ought to be the case when he was in opposition?
(3) Given the
failure of an electronic monitoring bracelet to prevent the Darwin gunman from
killing four people and wounding others yesterday while on parole, does the
Attorney General maintain his assurance to the public that MGD will not offend
because he is under such monitoring; and, if so, why?
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1) The
Attorney General has implemented laws to meet pre-election commitments and
provide the Western Australian community with the toughest laws in Australia.
(2) The
Attorney General is progressing reforms to create a high-risk offenders regime
to capture dangerous sexual and violent offenders.
(3) Electronic
monitoring alone does not prevent reoffending; rather, the totality of the
extensive and stringent conditions attached to MGD's supervision order,
including electronic monitoring, underpinned the Attorney General's
remark that the offender will be safely managed in the community if the
Department of Justice ensures strict compliance with all 49 conditions.