Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Bill 2019. I'd like to echo many of the comments made by the member for Grey. Everything he said I agree with, which is not something that happens with every member in this House. Everything he said is absolutely correct. I commend the government's work on this bill.

This bill implements a number of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. All of the proposed measures are aimed at protecting children and punishing individuals who fail to protect a child at risk of sexual abuse. Any abuse of children, irrespective of whether the offending occurs in an institution or on an online platform, is abhorrent. It is sickening. But one aspect of this offending that I found particularly troubling and disturbing is the use of childlike sex dolls. Childlike sex dolls are an increasingly emerging form of child exploitation material that must clearly be criminalised to prevent children from being abused as the dolls normalise abusive behaviour towards children, encourage the sexualisation of children and increase the likelihood that a paedophile will engage in sexual activity with or towards children. It is important that all states and territories, not just the Commonwealth, move quickly to ban the use of these repulsive objects, which are three-dimensional—they are lifelike; they resemble children—and are intended to be used for the simulation of sexual intercourse. It's disturbing that there is a market for such an object. It's equally disturbing that there are manufacturers willing to create this product.

My SA-BEST colleagues in the South Australian parliament have already introduced the Criminal Law Consolidation (Child-Like Sex Dolls Prohibition) Amendment Bill 2019 into the South Australian Legislative Council. The bill, modelled on the Commonwealth legislation that we are debating in the chamber this evening, proposes amendments to the Criminal Law Consolidation Act to include childlike sex dolls within the definition of child exploitation material. While it could be argued that childlike sex dolls could already fall within the existing definition, this remains untested in South Australia. In addition, the SA-BEST bill makes it an offence to produce or disseminate childlike sex dolls, with a penalty of 10 years imprisonment applying to the offence. The bill also makes it an offence to possess a childlike sex doll. A person guilty of such an offence will face 10 years imprisonment.

The bill passed the South Australian Legislative Council earlier this evening, and I understand it passed with the support of the government and the opposition—and I'm very pleased to see bipartisan support for this bill that is before us tonight. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Hon. Connie Bonaros MLC and her team for their efforts in strengthening the protections for children in South Australia. Centre Alliance stands alongside SA-BEST, resolute in our commitment to prevent the exploitation of children. This bill and the bill before the South Australian parliament fall within that commitment.

I am the parent of three beautiful, wonderful children, one of whom is now an adult. Children are so incredibly vulnerable, and when a child is abused their childhood is gone. I am very pleased that, in this place today, we are taking some very positive steps that go some way to addressing some of the wrongs done to children, and to right some of those wrongs. I commend this bill to the House.

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