Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I am grateful to the opposition and the government for their responses. There was a previous committee report where both the government and the opposition did support a similar amendment. There is currently a bill—and this amendment is based on that bill—that is being considered by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. I think it is fair to say that the opposition and the government have not come to the same position as the Carly Ryan Foundation has. The issue will not go away. I accept the goodwill with which all members of this place and all parties are treating my amendment. I respectfully suggest that the time will come when the law will be changed, because it ought to be an offence for an adult to communicate with a child when the adult lies about their age and then attempts to meet that child. Let us see what the Children's e-Safety Commissioner says about this. I will be engaging with whomever the commissioner will be. I will keep trying. I owe it to Sonya Ryan and the Carly Ryan Foundation to keep trying in respect of this. It is something that both parties have considered in the past and have rejected, but that is fine. I say this without any rancour at all. I am hoping that we will get there, with goodwill, and get bipartisan, in fact cross-party, support for this amendment eventually.