John Cobb (Calare, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Unexplained Wealth and Other Measures) Bill 2014. The bill implements a key coalition election commitment. In the lead-up to the federal election last year, the coalition released its policy to tackle crime and keep our streets safe. The policy included a number of measures such as those contained in this bill, tougher penalties for people caught bringing illegal arms into Australia and our $50 million Safer Streets Program for activities such as CCTV, closed-circuit television. I will come back to the closed-circuit television issue shortly.

This bill implements a number of recommendations made by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement in its 2011 inquiry into unexplained wealth laws and arrangements. It is interesting to note that Labor had the opportunity to take up those findings and implement them, but they did not. It was obviously not a priority for them. The coalition government has introduced legislation aimed at strengthening the Commonwealth's unexplained wealth regime.

Crime inflicts significant social and economic costs on communities, families and individuals. Organised crime is a serious economic threat; make no mistake. It has been estimated to cost the Australian economy over $15 billion per year. This is money gained from crimes that damage our community. Unexplained wealth laws are aimed at taking the profit motive out of organised crime. They target criminal kingpins who insulate themselves from the day-to-day operations of their criminal organisations but profit from the misery they pedal. Unexplained wealth laws give the court the ability to order a person to demonstrate that their wealth was lawfully acquired. If they cannot, that person may be ordered to forfeit their illegitimate wealth.

It is important for the Commonwealth to have the strongest unexplained wealth regime impossible. As the previous speaker said, it is one of the few ways in which organised crime can be dealt with at the top of the pyramid. This bill also builds on work that the Minister for Justice has been undertaking in trying to establish a cohesive national approach to organised crime.

I would like to take a moment to talk about crime in our society generally. Serious and organised crime is a significant threat to the safety and security of our nation, and that is something we are focused on in a slightly different way at the moment. Fighting crime is traditionally the role of state governments, through police forces, but at a federal level we do support that work. The men and women of our federal, state and territory police forces and crime-fighting agencies do a fine job, but it is a difficult job in often challenging circumstances. In my opinion, those who chase organised and unorganised crime do not get the credit they are due for working day in, day out to keep us feeling safe and secure in our communities and in our homes. A coalition government will help make our streets, homes and communities safer, with tough and effective measures to prevent and reduce crime. To deal with organised crime, we are making it more possible, through this bill, to prosecute or take the profits. There is also the issue, already spoken about, of illegal arms coming into our country, and that has to be dealt with as well.

I believe it is just as important that we deal with local crime. As I mentioned earlier, this bill includes several measures, including a program that I strongly support that provides local grants for measures such as increased closed-circuit television surveillance and better lighting in our streets, parks and community areas. I firmly believe this will help to address crime and target antisocial behaviour at the local level. The money for this program will come from the proceeds of crime, so the crimes of yesterday will help prevent tomorrow's crime.

In Calare I believe that closed-circuit TV is working well in the areas it has been implemented in. I was successful in getting money for Orange to do this back in 2007, and a year or so later it was established in the CBD. Since then Orange has added to it. Parkes council has also received funding of around $70,000 from the Australian government to install 18 cameras in its CBD. I look forward to more of Calare's towns being able to apply for funding to install CCTV under the Safer Streets Program.

Each community faces different crime problems. Luckily, Calare does not have major crime issues, but from time to time issues arise. Generally speaking, we are not a high-crime area. Data collected last year showed that crime rates in Bathurst had lowered in the last decade thanks largely to new technology and a focus on proactive policing. Compared to 12 years ago, break and enters had fallen by 55 per cent, motor vehicle theft was down by over 60 per cent and stealing from dwellings had decreased by 64 per cent. In Orange, also according to data collected last year, crime trends over the past two years had remained steady, except in the case of motor vehicle theft.

There is a perception by some that crime is on the increase. However, this has been shown to be due to an increase in the media reporting of crime and, in some cases, increased reporting by victims. As I mentioned, from time to time there are issues. Recently we saw a big drug bust in Parkes, thanks to some great detective work by the Lachlan Local Area Command. A man was charged after police seized approximately $100,000 worth of cannabis. Officers also seized a large number of fertilisers, cutting equipment and other items associated with the cultivation of prohibited substances. We do not want to see this in the community, but it is great work by the local police and our detectives in dealing with local issues. Crime prevention is, in the first place, a very local issue. But, as this legislation shows, it all leads up to the big boys at the top, and we have to deal with them.

I am a big supporter of any measures that can be taken to prevent illegal arms entering our country. Recent events in Sydney and other capital cities have shown that, almost always, it is illegal arms that are used, and quite often illegally imported arms. I commend the bill the House, because I do believe that the federal government has a serious role to play, with our state colleagues, in controlling crime.

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