00:00Police powers are about to expand.
00:06Anything that happens where we can actually get in there
00:09and stop harm happening before it happens,
00:12where we can prevent another tragic incident occurring,
00:16is something that everybody in this community should be welcoming.
00:19Under proposed new legislation, police will have the power
00:23to enter residential properties without a warrant on reasonable grounds,
00:27such as to arrest people in breach of parole.
00:30So now it gives us the opportunity to assure ourselves
00:33that that person is not actually on their premises
00:35and we've got the power to enter those premises.
00:37But increased police powers come with concerns
00:40about the abuses of that power.
00:42We want to make sure that any amendments to legislation
00:46are forever striking the right balance between safety
00:50and ensuring particularly safety in domestic family violence situations
00:55as well as people's rights to live safely in their home.
00:59The laws are set to be debated in Parliament this week,
01:02but both police and the legal sector say they haven't been consulted
01:06on whether they're fit for use.
01:08We haven't had those briefings as part of this legislative change,
01:11which is somewhat unusual.
01:14It would boggle the mind that an amendment such as this
01:17wouldn't similarly be given the time to ensure that it is best placed
01:21and of right fit for our community.
01:24Briefing or not, the powers are expected to pass Parliament
01:28as a matter of urgency.
