Tensions between the two houses of state Parliament have erupted, as the government’s bill to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offenders was voted down in the Legislative Council on Wednesday.
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The bill would have seen a sentence of four years’ jail imposed on anyone convicted of raping a child.
The Sentencing Advisory Council had expressed doubts around the principle of mandatory minimum sentencing, claiming it may actually discourage children from reporting abuse if it meant sending a family member to jail.
Concerns have also been aired that the inevitable rise in not-guilty pleas in such cases would force more children to be subjected to the legal process, potentially exacerbating their trauma.
The Liberals’ tactic in the wake of the bill’s failure has been to denigrate Labor, saying the party’s upper house members had opted against protecting Tasmanian children.
After it became evident the legislation had not been passed, acting Attorney-General Matthew Groom fired off a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
“Labor has let down every Tasmanian who expects strong penalties for these abhorrent crimes,” Mr Groom said.
At roughly 9:30pm on Wednesday, certain MLCs took to the podium to give the Liberals – particularly Mr Groom - a lashing over their tactics in relation to the bill.
Derwent Labor MLC Craig Farrell expressed his “disgust at the actions of the Liberal government in politicising a vote of this House”.
He said Labor had simply “read and accept[ed] every expert report” in considering the legislation.
Mr Farrell threatened to revoke the vote-pairing arrangement between Labor and the Liberals, which was established in Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin’s absence from the house.
This arrangement sees a Labor member abstaining from voting when the parties are opposed on votes, so as to maintain a balance in Dr Goodwin’s absence.
Mr Farrell said Labor required both an apology from the acting Leader of the Government in the upper house Leonie Hiscutt and the revocation of Mr Groom’s statement.
If these demands were not met, Mr Farrell said, the pairing arrangements may not continue.
Leader of Government Business Michael Ferguson called on Labor Leader Rebecca White to withdraw the “ill-considered threat” on behalf of her party.
“To bring someone’s health into a political debate is simply not on,” he said.
But it was not just Labor MLCs who took issue with the government’s public statements on the bill.
Independent Rosevears MLC Kerry Finch said Mr Farrell’s comments had highlighted to him the way the Legislative Council was being conceived by the government.
“My concern is increasing about the way we are being treated and viewed,” he said.
Independent Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest went even further, saying the acting Attorney-General was being “unbelievably disrespectful”.
“He is suggesting that anyone who opposed mandatory sentencing is letting our children down and they do not care about our children,” Ms Forrest said.
Mr Groom said the government would again seek a mandate to enact these laws at the next election, further stoking speculation that Tasmania could go to the polls earlier than originally expected.
