« Go to related Bill

Supplementary Order Paper No 419

No 419

House of Representatives

Supplementary Order Paper

Wednesday, 11 December 2019

Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill

Proposed amendments

Hon Mark Mitchell, in Committee, to move the following amendments:

Clause 6

In clause 6(1), replace “18 years old” (page 4, line 25) with “14 years old”.

Clause 20

In clause 20, after subclause (3) (page 12, after line 9), insert:

(4)

If P is aged between 14 and 17 years old, the Commissioner must, as soon as practicable after the control order is served under subsection (2), take reasonable steps to serve a copy of the control order on at least 1 parent or guardian of P.

Clause 24

In clause 24, after subclause (5) (page 14, after line 9), insert:

(5A)

If the relevant person is aged between 14 and 17 years old, the duration of a final control order must be not longer than 6 months after the final control order is served on the relevant person in respect of whom the order is made, despite subsection (3), and subsections (4) and (5) are to be read accordingly.

Explanatory note

This Supplementary Order Paper amends the Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill. The Bill as introduced limits control orders to those aged 18 years and older. National believes control orders should apply to those aged 14 years and older. There is every possibility young people have been subject to radicalisation and may share high-risk ideologies, not just those aged 18 years and over.

The provision of a control order to a 14-year-old would be for up to 6 months, up until the age of 18, where the 2-year duration would take effect. Lowering the age to 14 would align the Bill with the Australian legislation. Australia introduced control order legislation for 16-year-olds and over, but in 2016 reduced the age threshold to 14 due to a case of a 15-year-old being radicalised.