This bill, as I understand it, was originally set up for the purposes of providing some compensation to those people who were injured in their duties through criminal acts. It was to cover, as I understand it, pain, suffering, embarrassment, costs that they were going to incur as a result of that injury. I understand that is the reason it was originally set up. So I was amazed, as were a number of others, Mr President, that the rights of those people were going to be impacted on by this bill. Of course the amendment was argued in the lower House and it was accepted and now it is, I believe, a very, very responsible bill. On my notifying the Police Association of that amendment, they then indicated that they were very happy and content with it and were very accepting of it and so would their members be.

I just want to remind people that only last month or the month before a schoolteacher was attacked, I think in the Don College at Devonport, by a student. As I understand it, that teacher was injured as a result of that attack. Under the legislation as it was drawn up, that teacher would not have had any right for compensation under the act, but now of course it has been amended and that teacher will now have that right to make that claim.

Mr Parkinson - They still cannot double-dip.

Mr DEAN - No, they cannot double-dip and that is acceptable and I do not think that anybody would support the double dipping of anybody in any circumstances. I certainly do not support that and that is not supported by the Police Association in particular when I spoke with them; they understand that. They are simply saying it ought to be their right to make a claim under this act for the purposes of which I have identified.

I think the other thing that I like about it, Mr President, is the fact that it has made it much easier for those people to pursue these claims. It is not as though I want to do the honourable member for Nelson out of a job, but it has made it much easier and simpler and those people are able to process those claims themselves and it can be done fairly quickly. Mr President, as the bill is now presented, I support the bill and it is supported by those other organisations that did have some concerns with the way it was originally presented.