Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After a number of recent controversial judgments relating to law and order in the past few weeks in New South Wales, I am concerned that hardworking police officers must be asking themselves why they became cops in the first place. Two weeks ago a magistrate came to the decision that it was acceptable to call police officer a ‘prick’, clearing a university student of offensive language charges following a heated row with a senior constable at a railway station in Sydney. The magistrate went on to say that he was not satisfied that a reasonable person would be offended by the word ‘prick’ and that a police officer would have heard much worse in general conversation on numerous occasions; therefore, our police officers should be used to this type of language. I am reasonably confident that in the ordinary course of parliamentary life this would be deemed to be unparliamentary.

Another well-known magistrate in the Manly court last week accused two police officers of fabricating their versions of an incident which occurred in the early hours of the morning in Manly last year, and the magistrate consequently threw the case out of court. The finding came after the police were called to respond to and defuse an ugly crowd. It is alleged that the person charged had been drinking. He became hostile towards the police and wrestled one of the officers to the ground, pinning him down. I understand that this occurred after police officers had tried to move him from the middle of the road. He also went on to call the police ‘fucking pigs’.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I advise the member for Werriwa that, even though he is quoting, it is unparliamentary to quote that language. I am going to have to ask him to withdraw.

Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Madam Deputy Speaker. I would like to put on record today that I am very concerned that some members of our esteemed judicial system are sanctioning this style of language and behaviour against our hardworking police officers. It is utter nonsense, and it is not good enough for our legal system to let down the people who protect our community and to feel that it is okay to treat police as second-class citizens.

It is distressing that in this chamber over a year ago I raised similar concerns regarding how police and the community felt abandoned by the Western Australian justice system after an assault took place on a police officer, leaving him paralysed. That matter went unpunished. I applaud the tough comments of Peter Remfrey, the Secretary of the Police Association of New South Wales, and I echo his remarks that police should not be regarded as punching bags for society nor should they be open to this form of abuse. I have always taught my children, and now I am teaching my grandchildren, to respect the police, and it is time that members of our judicial system show similar leadership and community based thinking. Surely our police cannot be expected to protect our communities if they themselves are not being properly protected.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Minister Chris Evans on his intention to cancel the visa of a man who was convicted of the manslaughter of Senior Constable Glenn McEnally. (Time expired)