Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

First of all, I'd like to respond to the ridiculous suggestion made by Senator Hanson of a similarity between my position on this issue and the Greens' general position in relation to the lowering of the voting age, of which I am a proud and long-term supporter. I would say to you very directly, Senator Hanson, through the chair, that having a say in your own future is not the same as being placed in a situation where you may have your future destroyed. There is such a blindingly clear difference between these two issues that I am, quite frankly, stunned by your inability to see the difference.

I now turn to the question of these amendments and the heart of the issue that they go to. I want to put this very clearly for everybody in this chamber: as currently written, the civil penalties regime outlined within this legislation, which could potentially place somebody at the risk of a fine of up to $107,000, is currently applicable to any person over the age of 10. I do not believe, absent of the political context, that any person present in this chamber would believe that a 10-year-old should come within the same galactic distance of a civil penalty of any shape or form. Any expert, or any person in this place who had taken the time to consult an expert or given the opportunity for this legislation to be consulted on and considered by experts—as is the job of this chamber—would have found a resounding suggestion that the clarification within these amendments be enshrined in the law. There can be no benefit to applying a civil penalty to a 10-year-old, regardless of the situation. I ask the minister once again: is he comfortable with the idea of implementing a civil penalty regime that would apply to 10-year-old Australians?