Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) | Hansard source

Labor senators support this legislation. Child sexual exploitation is abhorrent. Children are the most precious and vulnerable members of our community, and we must protect and support them. To that end we strongly support the objectives of the Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Bill 2019, which seeks to implement several recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

We're proud of the royal commission that was established by the Gillard government in 2013. It has served as a very important step towards reform, redress and healing. We note that particular stakeholders had concerns with elements of this bill. We have, however, accepted the responses from the Department of Home Affairs and the Attorney-General's Department in relation to these issues, and they've taken us through those issues with their assurances.

Therefore we're not supporting the amendments that will be moved by Senator McKim today, but we are very closely watching the government's next steps in the implementation of the bill so that it is implemented as intended and those assurances that the government has made are upheld. We are committed to protecting Australian children and we have no tolerance for these crimes. As such we fundamentally support the measures in this bill, and we'll vote in favour of it today.