The Tasmanian Government's legislation to further protect children and empower their parents and carers will resume debate in Parliament this week.
Bruce and Denise Morcombe joined Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Felix Ellis, to highlight the importance of the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Amendment Bill 2024, to be known as Daniel's Law.
Minister Ellis said the legislation is a critical step in giving parents the tools they need to protect their children, while striking a balance with responsible information sharing.
"Daniel's Law puts children first," Minister Ellis said.
"It gives parents and carers the right to ask police if someone with regular, unsupervised access to their child is a registered sex offender. It also enables police to publish the details of a reportable offender who has breached their conditions and cannot be located.
"We are proud to have the support of three organisations that are leading the fight for child safety across Tasmania and Australia – Beyond Abuse, Bravehearts and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation."
Bravehearts CEO Alison Geale said Bravehearts is proud to support the Bill and the community safety intent behind it.
"Reportable offenders who are missing pose an increased risk. The likelihood of reoffending, along with issues such as mental health disorders and substance dependency, underscores the importance of locating these individuals," Ms Geale said.
"We fully support amendments providing parents and guardians with the opportunity to inquire about individuals with significant, unsupervised access to their children so they could identify potential risks to their children. This will allow parents and guardians, who may have concerns, to better protect children and young people from known offenders."
The recommencement of debate comes after the recent 20th anniversary of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, which was established by Bruce and Denise Morcombe in honour of their son Daniel.
"For more than 15 years, we have been advocating for parents across Australia to have the right to access critical information that could protect their children. Seeing Daniel's Law progress in Tasmania is a significant moment for our family," the Morcombes said.
"Daniel's Law gives parents and guardians the ability to make informed choices. If someone with regular, unsupervised access to their child has a history of sexual offending, they have a right to know. It's that simple."
Steve Fisher, CEO of Beyond Abuse, welcomed the next stage in the passage of the Bill, saying it strikes an important balance between community safety and individual rights.
"This is about giving parents and carers the tools they need to protect children. If it stops even one child from being harmed, it's worth it," Mr Fisher said.
"I am particularly impressed with the way the Government consulted with all stakeholders on this Bill, including victim survivors, something that gives the Bill a big tick from ALL people that will be affected."
