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

Just for clarification: you could end up in a situation with this bill, through the suggested legislative framework, where somebody under the age of 18—again, as young as 10—through a violation of the non-compliance aspect of this legislation, for many and varied reasons, is before the Federal Court. Somebody as young as 10! Do you truly believe that it would not be better for that person in that situation to be diverted, as the Law Council of Australia has suggested? I can tell you now that, had either side of this chamber decided to refer this bill to a committee, the Law Council of Australia would have given the feedback that there are not appropriate diversionary pathways within this legislation. Does the minister sit here seriously suggesting that a 10-year-old child would be better off, under any circumstance, interacting with the Federal Court system?