George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Families and parenthood are very important. They are important in particular for children. That is why when families fall apart we need to do all we can to ensure that the child has access not only to both parents but to adequate finance for their future and that it is all done in a fair and reasonable way.

But if my constituent concerns are anything to go by, the current child support system is anything but fair and reasonable. In fact, many would say that the system is broken. Today I want to outline three cases, of many different constituent stories, where the child support system has resulted in an unfair deal. The first I refer to is that of Ken, who lives in the Whitsundays. He is the father of two children. He suffered a separation and his ex-partner now has sole custody of his children. He is awaiting a court hearing so that some court orders for custody can be put in place, but all the while he is not allowed to see his children.

The Child Support Agency is assessing his child support, based on an income of $95,000, when his actual income is significantly less than that. The report that was done by the CSA into his income was based on more false assumptions and wild speculation than one would encounter in an episode of Inspector Morse.

I also refer to Darrell, who lives in my electorate, who has told me that a very good friend of his has to pay child support to his ex-wife in Japan. She took the children off to Japan and will not let him know where they are and, because Japan is not part of The Hague convention, there is no ability for them to come back.

Finally, I refer to John, a fellow in Mackay, whose ex-partner, who is in breach of court orders, took his children to a town 350 kilometres away. They have no contact with him at all. The Child Support Agency is now making him pay for those extra days when he should be seeing the children—but he is not, through no control of his own.

All these issues need to be addressed. It has become clear to me that there needs to be a nexus between the child support system and Family Court orders. To quote one of my constituents:

The Child Support Agency is going to be responsible for a whole new stolen generation in the future. Parents have to pay and pay and CSA has nothing in place to ensure that access is available to parents who are doing the right thing in providing for their children. It is easy to take away money, to take tax returns and drive parents to the brink but hold no responsibility in making sure that the paying parent sees their child.