Parliamentarians and religious ministers could soon be made to mandatorily report incidences of child sexual abuse under legislative reforms passed in the House of Assembly on Tuesday.
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The bill, to go before the upper house, has made amendments to four pieces of state legislation, namely regarding notification of child abuse to authorities and how evidence of abuse is delivered in court.
Attorney-General Elise Archer said the inclusion of people in religious ministries as mandatory notifiers was a specific recommendation from the Royal Commission's final report into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.
She said the reforms would mean confessional privilege would no longer be permitted as a reason not to disclosure information on abuse.
Ms Archer said she acknowledged opposition from members of the state's religious fraternity to the change.
"However, it is for the state to legislate in relation to the safety of the community, and in particular, our children," she said.
Ms Archer said the inclusion of parliamentarians as mandatory reporters reflected that politicians were often in a position where they received disturbing information on a child's safety.
The bill has created the new crime on failing to report the abuse of a child in a circumstance where a person reasonably believed an offence had been committed but did not notify police in a timely manner.
"All members of the community must do everything in their power to protect children and prevent child abuse from occurring," Ms Archer said.
Grooming offences will be expanded to include communication with a third party with the intent of procuring a child under the reform.
Prerecorded audio or visual recording's of a witness' evidence would be permitted in court proceedings.
Labor justice spokeswoman Ella Haddad said the reforms extended to people in positions of authority and trust to do all they could to keep children safe.
Greens leader Cassy O'Connor said the Royal Commission's inquiry revealed in confronting detail systemic child sexual abuse which, in many cases, were covered up.
She said even the confessional, acknowledged by religious ministers as a sacred place, was used in the abuse of children.
