Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the opposition, I indicate that we will be supporting the urgency motion moved by Senator Bartlett. I congratulate him for bringing the issue forward today, because I think it is important that a Commonwealth parliament concentrates on these issues on occasion, and particularly for his call for child protection to be seen as a national priority and to see what the Commonwealth’s role in this is.

Can I say at the outset that freedom from violence and freedom from abuse are fundamental human rights. All children have a right to the protection, care and support that will allow them to thrive. All children are entitled to the full protection of the law, and we are all responsible for the safety and protection of children in our community. We are not just responsible for our kids; we are responsible for all kids in our community. All levels of government have a responsibility to ensure that the law is applied and children get the protection they need.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, Child Protection: Australia: 2004-05, notes that from 1999-2000 to 2004-05 the number of child protection notifications nationally increased, from over 107,000 to more than 250,000, and the number of substantiations increased, from 25,000 to more than 46,000. It may be, as Senator Humphries has pointed out, that the reporting, rather than the incidence, is increasing. But whichever way you view them, these statistics are appalling and they do tell us we have got a major problem. A large amount of abuse and neglect does go unreported, and I think statistics of this magnitude can only highlight what we are dealing with.

In my state of Western Australia, we have had the terribly tragic death of a baby. It has been very much in the public spotlight in recent weeks. It is a terrible tale that has upset everyone—and, quite frankly, on occasions I have skipped a couple of paragraphs in the newspaper because it is so distressing. I think all Australians are shocked and saddened when they hear of cases such as this where family dysfunction and the failure of child protection result in the death of a child.

All abuse has severe consequences. In addition to its physical effects, abuse can impair personal and social development; lead to psychological damage; result in poorer health, education and employment outcomes; lead to alcohol and drug abuse; and lead to a cycle of abuse in the next generation. It is an issue that we have to give greater attention to. Dr Fiona Stanley, from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth, has noted that rates of abuse are higher among Indigenous and other disadvantaged children than they are among children from more advantaged backgrounds. These factors present a complex, multifaceted challenge which demands complex solutions, not simple solutions, which provide full protection to children and address the causes of abuse and neglect.

Recently, following the shocking stories revealed on Lateline by the Northern Territory Crown Prosecutor, Nannette Rogers, there has been a national debate on child abuse and sexual assault in Indigenous communities. Like all children, Indigenous children have the right to be free from violence and abuse and should receive the full protection of the law. In her 2002 Cunningham Lecture, Dr Stanley noted that Indigenous children experience higher rates of abuse, neglect and other areas of disadvantage than their non-Indigenous peers. The high levels of abuse, neglect and disadvantage experienced by Indigenous children are largely a function of poverty, not of race or Aboriginal culture, as some have claimed. Professor Stanley attempted to illustrate the complex web of social and physical factors that influence the broader health and welfare of Indigenous Australians.

Mick Adams, of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Forum, has argued that the breakdown of the traditional role and status of Aboriginal men has contributed to abuse in their communities and that the poor health status of Indigenous men leads to suffering within Indigenous families and communities. There is no excuse for the abuse of children in Indigenous communities. But there is also a danger that the current debate is falsely painting all Indigenous men as perpetrators. Such dangerous stereotyping should be avoided at all costs. Abuse of children is not just an Indigenous problem; it is a community problem which is more prevalent in underprivileged groups but prevalent throughout society.

There has been community debate about how we ensure that Indigenous children are free from abuse, assault and neglect and about where ultimate responsibility for this lies. There are clear responsibilities here at both the state and federal levels, and no-one boasts a particularly proud record. The federal government has been told time and again about the nature and extent of the problems. There has been a stream of reports and at least three federal summits. We seem to be trapped in a cycle where every few years a shocking story prompts calls for immediate action, but, as the focus of public attention shifts, the issue disappears and little progress is achieved. This pattern is also present in relation to abuse, assault and neglect of non-Indigenous children. We are seeing it in Western Australia now; we have seen it in New South Wales; and, quite frankly, we have seen it all before.

The culture of blame shifting in relation to child protection is extremely unhelpful. We look to blame rather than to solve. Political point-scoring takes place by those not in government at the time. All this holds us back from focusing on how to get results, how to build systems that protect children and how to encourage broader community responsibility. There needs to be more openness and honesty and less blame so that we can develop stronger systems to better protect Australian children. It is an approach I have certainly tried to take in Indigenous affairs in trying to support this government in tackling violence and abuse in Indigenous communities. But I do not think it is helped if people seek to sensationalise issues or to make political capital out of really tragic cases. We have got to focus on the causes and on assisting Aboriginal people and communities to tackle these problems, not constantly blame or highlight the problems.

Labor supports Senator Bartlett’s call. We do think we need national leadership. We do think we all have to contribute. I think it is about us all renewing our commitment and our efforts to do much better as a society than we have done in the past. (Time expired)