George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Hinch, this is a debate that has been going for some time. The register, as you know, is not a public register. The decision that it should not be a public register is a decision that has been made, among other things, on the advice of the police. One does want to ensure that the register, which exists as a tool and as an asset available to all the state and territory police, is used for the proper purposes—that is, for policing purposes. It is for prevention purposes; it is for investigatory purposes. But the concern that has been expressed to governments, Commonwealth and state, by the police and others is that were there to be a public register it might be abused and it might be used by vigilantes, who have no role in the criminal justice system.

So what we want to do is prevent child abuse, arrest the people responsible for it and bring them to justice. That is the facility that I apply to the register. (Time expired)