Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I note on rising to speak to this bill, the Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019, that this is not my first speech. On this matter I rise because it is close to home, literally. I live on a mixed farming property that combines intensive livestock, rangeland livestock and cropping enterprises. I'm lucky, because to date I have not had to drive through activists as I do the school bus run. I have not woken to find that activists have vandalised property and harassed animals near my home. I've not had my address published on an activist website to promote trespass and vandalism. But I do live in fear that it could happen any day, and not just to me and my family but to the families that also live on that same property, who may be innocently targeted by this sort of behaviour.

I thank Senator Roberts for noting that this bill is not about banning legitimate and lawful protest—protest that can occur on public lands. This bill is about banning people using a carriage service to incite trespass, which is breaking the law. This bans people from using a carriage service to encourage people to trespass on private property.