Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on what steps the government is taking to stop child sex offenders from travelling overseas?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Durack for her question, which reflects the growing community concern across Australia about this very serious issue. Today the Minister for Justice and I announced that the Turnbull government will introduce legislation to prevent registered child sex offenders from travelling overseas while they have reporting obligations to authorities in Australia. This new legislation represents the toughest crackdown on child sex tourism by any government anywhere as we are determined to prevent the sexual exploitation of vulnerable young children overseas.

On the request of a competent relevant authority—and that will include state and territory law enforcement agencies—I will have the power to cancel, to refuse to issue or to order the surrender of a passport of a person who is on the registered child sex offence list. It is called the Australian National Child Offender Register, otherwise known as the national paedophile register. This legislation will also create a new offence for a registered child sex offender, who will not be able to travel overseas without the permission of a relevant competent authority.

In 2016 alone, almost 800 Australian registered child sex offenders travelled overseas. About 50 per cent of them went to South-East Asia, where child sex tourism is rife and sexual exploitation of children is far too commonplace. About 50 per cent of them were already recorded by police as representing a medium, high or very high risk of re-offending. Many of them had been convicted for sex offences against children under the age of 13. Many of them had travelled overseas in direct breach of their reporting obligations to relevant state and territory authorities.

These measures will apply to Australians registered on the national paedophile list while ever their name remains on that list and while ever they have reporting obligations to Australian authorities. About 3,200 Australians are on that register for life because of the heinous nature of their crimes and, therefore, the passport ban will apply for life. The Turnbull government are determined to protect vulnerable young children overseas and do all we can to work with state and territory authorities to ensure that Australian children are also safe from sexual exploitation and child predators. I urge the parliament to support this legislation.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence: the opposition want to make very clear that we are very supportive of what the foreign minister has said. Protecting children here and abroad from the scourge of Australian child sex offenders is an absolutely No. 1 priority. We congratulate also Senator Derryn Hinch for his leadership on this matter.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members down that end of the chamber will not interject and particularly on the subject matter. I find it highly disruptive to the parliament.