Aged Person Assaults

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Speakers - Jones The Hon Richard; Pickering The Hon Edward
Business - Questions Without Notice

AGED PERSON ASSAULTS

The Hon. R. S. L. JONES: My question without notice is to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Vice-President of the Executive Council. Will the Minister consider discussing with Cabinet the possibility of introducing amending legislation to increase penalties for attacks on pensioners? Would it not be possible to single out senior citizens in legislation to afford them greater protection and to increase the deterrent effect of penalties for mugging elderly people?

The Hon. E. P. PICKERING: The concept of a special offence directed at those in society who attack elderly people in the certain knowledge that they are unable to fight back, and more importantly in the knowledge that that attack could cause severe damage or even death, is worthy of mature consideration by my Cabinet colleagues. The matter was first raised with me by John Laws on his radio program. I have taken his comments on board. I am not a lawyer, as I have said on many occasions in this House, but it appears to me that the honourable member's question has some value and I intend to pursue the matter. By way of written interjection the Hon. P. F. O'Grady asked "What about gay people"? Those people are perhaps in a slightly different category, because by and large gay people are not elderly—

The Hon. P. F. O'Grady: But they are bashed and killed in their homes.

The Hon. E. P. PICKERING: I am not saying that gay people are not bashed. The suggestion is that there be a special penalty imposed on those who bash elderly people. Because of the damage that can be occasioned by the bashing of elderly people I believe there is some merit in the suggestion. I guess gay people represent the full spectrum of society and therefore I doubt a special penalty could be introduced for merely bashing someone because they are gay. I am not attracted to that suggestion.

If honourable members have further questions, I suggest they put them on notice.

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