Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to strongly support the bill before the House today, the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill 2019. Listening to the member for Isaacs's speech and the member for Fowler just now, I certainly accept that their words regarding their desire to protect children are heartfelt. But what strikes me is that, once again, Labor's rhetoric doesn't match their actions. They are happy to come into this place and talk about protecting children—as we certainly are with this bill—but they aren't willing to actually get behind the government and support the passage of this bill. What was particularly concerning was that the member for Isaacs spent more time on trying to lecture the government on parliamentary process than on talking about the protection of the child. This is a pretty clear-cut case of the government on the side of community expectations, and it is entirely out of step with community expectations that somebody who commits these heinous crimes against children should not receive a custodial sentence.

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