Alexander Marc: Sex Offenders Registry Bill — First Reading 
Alexander Marc: Sex Offenders Registry Bill — First Reading 
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MARC ALEXANDER (United Future) 
: 
 On behalf of United Future I welcome the introduction of this bill and commend Deborah Coddington for bringing it to the House. Along with other legislation like the Victims’ Rights Act we are now seeing a tide turning and a shift to a new paradigm—a paradigm where victims are now able to start putting forward legislation to protect themselves and this bill forms another part of that. I do not wish to name some of the paedophiles and sex offenders. It would be a roll-call of evil and they should not be given the spotlight which is something I am sure they enjoy secretly and quietly. 
Sex offenders are not just criminals in the normal sense. They are not like burglars or any other form of criminal. They have an ingrained characteristic that cannot be taken out any more than axle grease can be taken out of a baked cake. As such they constitute a threat and a continuing threat to the public—to the vulnerable the innocent and the children. 
The Sex Offenders Registry Bill has as its purpose: “to establish a registry of sex offenders to assist the police in their investigations of sex offences to reduce sexual offending and thereby contribute to public safety.” It is a noble purpose and if it does no more than just place a database in the hands of the police so they are able to access the information it will do a lot. 
Although I understand the sparseness of the bill and the intent of that I believe that we must strengthen it through the select committee process. In particular I think that clause 5 which deals with people who have been convicted of two or more sexual offences needs to be broadened. We need to look at the pattern of offending. We need to look at the risk of reoffending by these individuals and at added safety if parole should ever be applicable to them. 
Also when it is time to look at the ability of the sex offenders registry to do what it is supposed to do we should perhaps think about widening the scope of the legislation to allow accessibility to those most at risk. It is a way of warning them about the predators in their immediate vicinity. I am suggesting that schools kindergartens and day-care centres have access. I suggest that those who are most vulnerable have access to information to help protect them. It is right of course that the police should be the first repository of this sort of information so that they may act on it but I think that as has already been stated people who have children would like to know what precautions they ought to be able to take if there is an offender in the nearby vicinity in the vicinity of a nearby school and so on. People who have children and who live near where offenders are residing also have reason to be forewarned so that they may be able to help protect their children. 
On behalf of United Future I thoroughly commend the introduction of this bill. I look forward to its introduction to a select committee and to being able to work with Deborah Coddington to strengthen the bill and to invite public submissions. I am sure the public will see in this bill another branch towards victims being allowed to protect themselves whereas in the past legislation has failed to do that.