Anti-Israeli graffiti attack on Parliament sparks camera upgrade and push case for ‘Post and Boast’ laws

An anti-Israel graffiti attack has sparked a review of State Parliament’s security cameras, after the incident revealed a gap in coverage.

Senior staff told a Budget estimates hearing on Thursday that the night-time attack was only partly captured on CCTV.

“The area is actually under CCTV surveillance. However, it was at night time, and the cameras aren’t the night vision type of cameras,” Parliamentary Services Executive Manager Rob Hunter said.

“So there is a need to upgrade our cameras across the whole precinct. They go into over 100 cameras, so that one there did capture some things, including the offender coming down Harvest Terrace.”

Mapping has started but funding is yet to be allocated to upgrade cameras, six weeks after a door of State Parliament and the footpath in West Perth were spray-painted.

“We expect that this year we will see some upgrades in our cameras across the precinct,” Mr Hunter said.

It was also revealed that the 22-year-old charged over the damage has since paid “restitution” of $2200 for the clean-up.

It was also revealed he had posted video of the crime on social media, but proposed “post and boast” laws set to carry a maximum penalty of three years jail are yet to pass Parliament and did not apply.