Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today for two main reasons, the first being to remind members and, indeed, all elected representatives and community leaders, that it is our most important task to try and protect our community—in particular, I would argue, to protect the safety of the children that live in our community. The second reason is to pay tribute to people in the community of Adelaide, which I represent, who have successfully stood up and fought for greater protections from convicted paedophiles in our area.

I'm not one to beat the traditional 'law and order' drum, which I know politicians are accused of doing in the search for votes sometimes. I rise to speak on this matter because I find it absolutely unthinkable that we would subject our neighbourhoods to having to live constantly looking over their shoulders and making sure no-one is peering over their fences or looking at the local playgrounds, local childcare centres and local schools because they know that a convicted serial sex offender has been released to live in their neighbourhood. But it is just this threat which my community has faced twice in recent years.

In March 2006, the South Australian Supreme Court ruled that convicted paedophile Gavin Schuster be released to live in the area of Kilburn, an area I'm so proud to represent. This was despite the fact that the court heard that he was deemed unwilling or unable to control his sexual instincts and that he had almost a lifelong history of child sexual abuse. The Supreme Court announced that he should be granted release. We found out that Kilburn was going to be his home, despite there being schools and playgrounds and despite it being a very young neighbourhood. The local community stood up and they spoke out, and I was proud to stand alongside them and call on the then state Labor government to intervene, to appeal the decision and, if required, to introduce legislation to ensure this didn't happen. There was an appeal and that appeal was successful, and Gavin Schuster remains behind bars to this day.

But then, earlier this year, in March, we learned that Mr Colin Humphrys, who has a history of child sexual abuse over three decades long, would be released from prison to live in Brompton, another suburb in the electorate of Adelaide which I represent. Now, this was deeply troubling, particularly because the Supreme Court heard that Mr Humphrys posed a risk of reoffending if released into the community, and his release was opposed by both the Parole Board and the Director of Public Prosecutions. Again, we had a scared community speaking up, begging to be heard, saying that they did not want to have to live in constant paranoia and in fear for the safety of their children. I was pleased to speak up on their behalf. Along with their state representative and the leader of the state opposition, Peter Malinauskas, we wrote to the state government and said, 'Please appeal this decision, but please legislate to ensure that this doesn't happen.' In fact, the now state opposition released draft legislation themselves to say, 'We will pass laws through the parliament so that we can ensure that this doesn't happen again and that the community can be safe.' Whilst initially labelling those draft laws as a stunt, the now state government did indeed introduce legislation, and that legislation has passed the South Australian parliament. What this means is that people who have stood up and fought for the community's interests to be put first over those sick predators who have attacked children in the past have succeeded.

I would like to particularly acknowledge Sean Fewster, a journalist at the Adelaide Advertiser, who has worked tirelessly to promote this cause as part of the Right To Know campaign. He himself stood up in the court and opposed the suppression order on where Mr Colin Humphrys would live. Particularly for Mr Humphrys's victim who's gone by the name 'XX' but has spoken out publicly, I can only imagine how hard it was for him to relive his trauma to speak out against the release of Mr Humphrys. That would be the case for many victims. I also acknowledge Jodi Daniels, one of my constituents, who led the campaign efforts. Also, to Peter Malinauskas, John Rau and indeed Vickie Chapman, who have passed these laws: thank you. Let's keep our children safe.