An elected Dutton LNP Government will provide $21.3 million for a 12-month pilot of a National Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme (the Scheme) to empower parents to protect their children.
The Scheme will allow members of the public to request information from the police about whether an individual who interacts with their children is a convicted sex offender.
It will be modelled on existing schemes operating right now in Western Australia and the UK, which have been running successfully for more than a decade, and unmasked thousands of paedophiles to worried parents and guardians.
The Scheme allows law enforcement to disclose, on application, relevant information to a parent or guardian, on a case-by-case basis, once police have undertaken the necessary checks. Information will only be released to individuals where they have a genuine relationship to the child and police determine it is appropriate to do so.
This announcement further builds on the LNP’s strong record of protecting children. We established the eSafety Commissioner and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, for which we will double the funding. The LNP has led the national debate on restricting social media for children under the age of 16, and recently committed $6 million to the Alannah & Madeline Foundation to keep our children safe from online harm.
The Scheme will be overseen by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), while state and territory law enforcement will manage requests and vetting. The Scheme will be introduced as a 12-month pilot to trial its uptake and administration.
Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Peter Dutton MP, said “As a former police officer, and as a father, I have always fought for the protection of children from harm. This register is an idea whose time has come – and it is now time to put it into force to protect our kids.
“The Scheme will serve as a powerful deterrent to offenders and importantly will enable parents to be fully informed about their child’s safety.”
Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, Senator James Paterson, said “Unknowingly putting your child into the care of a sex offender is every parent’s worst nightmare.
“This scheme will allow parents to make more informed decisions about who has access to their children, and sends a clear message to sexual predators that they have nowhere to hide.”
Shadow Minister for Community Safety, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Jason Wood MP, said “This announcement will send a clear message that Australia will not tolerate individuals preying on the most vulnerable members of the community – our children.
A Dutton LNP Government will take the strong and decisive action required to keep our communities safe and get Australia back on track.