Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

This Government is committed to preventing harm to children, both in person or online. Such harm, including sexual exploitation of children, is devastating to the children involved, their families, and their communities.

The introduction of the Protecting Minors Online Bill follows the murder of 15 year old Carly Ryan by a 50 year old man who posed online as a teenage boy.

2017 marks the 10 year anniversary since this tragic event and Carly's mother has worked tirelessly since then to protect children online. Through the introduction of this Bill, Carly's mother has achieved the outcome of a law to better protect young Australians in the online world. I am proud to have worked with Sonya Ryan to develop a measure that is effective and recognises Carly's legacy. I would also like to acknowledge the work and support that the Senator Nick Xenophon and his Team has provided in the development of this Bill.

The Government has a duty to ensure that, with ever evolving technology and expanding communication methods, Commonwealth laws provide a deterrent and a sound basis for prosecuting offenders who would do children harm.

The Protecting Minors Online Bill sends a clear message: this behaviour will not be tolerated. Australian children must be safe to grow, explore and develop online as 'in real life', and we will protect these spaces for them.

Rapidly evolving technologies and the anonymity that the internet provides have resulted in unprecedented opportunities for harm to and sexual exploitation of children. Our laws need to keep pace with the speed of technological change and the way that technology is used. This government has a demonstrated history of protecting children online through the enactment of a range of offences directed at the use of carriage services, such as the internet and mobile phones, for the sexual exploitation of children.

The Bill represents a further step to protect Australian children from those who would do them harm.

The introduction of the Bill improves protection of children online by introducing a new offence that complements existing online child sex offences for preparatory conduct, including grooming or procuring a child for sexual activity. The Bill extends the criminalisation of the use of the internet and social media as a forum for predators to groom or procure our children to engage in sexual activity to a broader range of conduct.

This offence builds upon the proactive policing of online child sex offences, allowing law enforcement to take action against online predators sooner and with greater consequence.

The Bill introduces a tough new offence for adults preparing or planning to cause harm to, procure, or engage in sexual activity with a child and may be punished by up to 10 years imprisonment. Importantly, this will include those who misrepresent their age as a step towards causing harm to a child.

Conclusion

This Bill will ensure young Australians have greater protection from online predators and serve as a significant deterrent to those who would do them harm.

Debate adjourned.