I am delighted to make a brief contribution relating to the Criminal Legislation Amendment (Knife Crimes) Bill 2023. The aim of the bill is to double the penalty for offences of possession or wielding of a knife in a public place or school. Simply, the maximum term of imprisonment for these offences will be increased from two to four years. The maximum fine for possession of a knife will rise to $4,400, whilst the maximum for those found guilty of wielding a knife in a public place or a school will increase to $11,000. To achieve this, an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act 1986 is required, as is the repeal of current offences under the Summary Offences Act in order to avoid duplication across various other Acts. These penalties for knife-related crimes are the toughest in our nation, and with good reason. The bill makes it crystal clear that the Minns Government does not believe the current penalties for knife crimes are sufficient. There would be many victims of knife-related crime throughout the State, including in my electorate of Heathcote, who would strongly agree.

Increased penalties not only punish offenders but also importantly act as a deterrent for potential offenders. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. It is also important to note that police will still be able to issue penalty infringement notices for offences of custody of a knife in a public place or school when the person has not previously been dealt with for a knife-related offence—so for a first offender. The benefits of that are twofold: It puts first-time offenders on notice and reduces the demand being placed on our State's already strained court system. Persons also under the age of 18 will still be able to be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act 1997. Essentially, this means they can be cautioned or referred to a youth justice conference. Again, this eases the burden on our court system and correctional facilities for young people.

Section 11C of the Summary Offences Act provides a number of reasonable excuses for possessing a knife, such as the legal pursuit of a person's occupation, education or training. Possessing a knife at a school for the purposes of causing harm or for self-defence is not a reasonable excuse. Students, teachers and staff at our schools have a lot to deal with already. For students, the pressures of study and being a teenager in general are intense enough. As a mother of two, I know exactly what I am talking about. For teachers and staff at our school, trying to ensure hundreds of students behave, cooperate and maximise their learning potential is a difficult task at the best of times. They do their best under extremely testing circumstances.

I have spoken to countless teachers and staff who were angry and frustrated with the lack of support from the former Liberal-Nationals Government. It was obvious to all that the former Government did not value the welfare of our teachers and staff. The Minns Government, on the other hand, wants to ensure that schools are a safe learning environment, where students, teachers and staff can all thrive. That is why the Minns Government has committed to an additional 10,000 permanent teachers. That is why the Minns Government has committed to reducing the administrative burden on teachers. Ensuring teachers, students and staff are not fearful of being the target of a knife-wielding offender is another step that the Minns Government is taking to ensure our schools are safe spaces for all.

I commend the Attorney General and the Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism for their work regarding the bill. This is yet another area of concern that the former Government failed to acknowledge, address and resolve. As a result, the deterrent and penalties for those possessing or wielding a knife in a public place or at a school have been far too lenient. Prior to entering this place, I made a commitment to the residents and business owners within the Heathcote electorate that I would serve the community, that I would make sure that their concerns were heard loud and clear in this place.

In my opinion, the Heathcote electorate is the most picturesque in the State, bar none. It is imperative that residents and visitors to our community feel safe when they are out and about, enjoying a swim at the beach, walking through the national park, shopping at one of the many wonderful local businesses or using public transport just to get from point A to point B. This bill will make the electorate of Heathcote and every other community throughout our State a lot safer. I thank the House.