No need for Aust sex offender register: PM

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has questioned the need for a national sex offenders register with the NT set to become the first jurisdiction to establish one.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott

Prime Minister Tony Abbott. (AAP)

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has indicated he's not in favour of a national sex offenders register, saying such lists don't exist for murderers, thieves or white collar criminals.

The Northern Territory will soon become the first jurisdiction in Australia to introduce a public sex offender register, to be named after murdered Queensland teenager Daniel Morcombe.

Federal coalition MP George Christensen has urged the Abbott government to roll out the register nationally, saying sex offenders gave up their right to privacy.

But Mr Abbott says he's "disinclined" to single out particular crimes for public registers.

"We don't have a national murders register. We don't have a national thieves register. We don't have a national white collar criminals register," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"The important thing is ... to have strong and effective law enforcement agencies, to have strong and effective laws."

Daniel's Law is based on a similar legislation in the United States, but unlike the American laws will not give the exact address of an offender.

Instead, a publicly accessible website would include an image, physical description and regional whereabouts of offenders in the Territory.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world