Elise Archer,Attorney-General
I have today tabled a Bill which imposes mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment for assaults on identified frontline workers, in line with the Hodgman Liberal Government's election commitment.
The last time this issue was before the Parliament, Labor shamefully opposed it, including in the Legislative Council. This weekend in Nelson, Pembroke and Montgomery, Tasmanians have the opportunity to support Liberal candidates and help ensure this, and other important law and order focused legislation can pass into law.
Frontline workers provide essential services to the Tasmanian community and any threatening behaviour such as violence, being aggressive, or resorting to violence is totally unacceptable.
Section 16A of the Sentencing Act already provides for mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment for offences resulting in serious bodily harm to police officers.
The Bill extends the existing provisions in section 16A to cover the following frontline workers in addition to police officers:
- ambulance officers;
- child safety officers;
- correctional services officers and community corrections officers;
- nurses and midwives; and
- medical orderlies and hospital attendants.
Mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment under section 16A will only apply where an offence has resulted in serious bodily harm to a frontline worker.
Importantly, we will continue to review and monitor these provisions if passed into law and cases of serious bodily harm, with a view to possibly extending them to further categories of frontline workers in future.
This Bill is part of ongoing efforts by the Government to ensure the safety of frontline workers in Tasmania, and ensure they can carry out their duties with every protection that the law can offer.
