Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Counter-Terrorism. Will the minister update the House on measures the government is taking to protect our community from shocking crimes, and are there any threats to these reforms?

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for that question. In this session of parliament, the parliament is going to have to deal with two very important issues in relation to community safety. First, it's the toughest crackdown on child sex offenders that we have seen in this country in a generation, including mandatory minimum sentences for the worst offenders. We also need to deal with illegal firearms trafficking. The government plans to crack down on it, and we'll be putting legislation back before the Senate for the fourth time, again including minimum mandatory sentences for people who smuggle guns in this country.

When we introduced the first tranche of legislation dealing with child sex tourism, the Leader of the Opposition stood up in parliament within two hours and pledged the Labor Party's support. We announced the toughest crackdown on child sex offenders last month yet the Labor Party still have not decided where they stand on this issue. Seriously, what is there to prevaricate about? We want paedophiles off the streets, and we believe this legislation deserves bipartisan support.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Everybody does.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Everybody does—well, why can't you say you support it now? Stand up and say you support it—is it really that difficult?

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

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Speaker. Of all the personal claims that can be directed at members of parliament across the chamber, what the minister is claiming now—

Government members interjecting—

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

The minister will cease interjecting—I am trying to hear the point of order from the Manager of Opposition Business. Manager of Opposition Business, I'd like to know what the point of order is.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It relates to making reflections on members. The minister specifically pointed to members along the front bench of the chamber and made specific allegations about their view on whether or not paedophiles should be locked up. When you are pointing at people like that and you are talking about their position on an issue like this, that is a personal reflection and the most vile sort of accusation someone can make in this place.

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

I have listened very carefully to the Manager of Opposition Business, and members will appreciate I extended significant latitude to him to make his point. I'm very concerned about reflections on members. I was listening very closely to the minister. He is talking about legislation that is before the parliament—and I don't need interjections agreeing with me, frankly, when I'm trying to address the House—and he is talking about the aims of the government's legislation in that regard. In that sense, strictly, he is in order but I do say to him that I would like him to take care with the language he uses in his answer.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The allegation I was making is very clear, Mr Speaker, and that is that it is a month since we introduced this legislation and the Labor Party still cannot say if they support it or not. That is just a statement of fact. If they want to get up now after my answer and say whether they support it or not, I'm sure the government will facilitate that opportunity. That is exactly what the Leader of the Opposition did when we introduced our largest crackdown and took passports off paedophiles—he pledged their support within two hours of our announcing that legislation.

This is a very important point about the government's priorities. We believe it is vitally important that the most serious sex offenders serve time in prison. We believe that people responsible for gun smuggling serve time in prison. Yet the Labor Party don't know what they think about the first proposal and they actively oppose the second proposal. Three times we have introduced into the Senate legislation relating to illegal firearms trafficking and three times in a row the Labor Party have joined with the Greens to block it.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney is warned.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They have a choice to make in this session of parliament.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney has been warned!

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will they prioritise community safety? Do they believe that people who smuggle guns should serve time in prison or not?

An opposition member: Yes we do.

Well support it then. It is incredibly straightforward. These are decision points for the Leader of the Opposition. What does he prioritise? Does he want to join with the government on this important piece of legislation for community safety or does he want to prevaricate, not knowing where he stands, and actively impose the other?