Senate debates

Monday, 11 September 2006

Questions without Notice

Child Protection

2:49 pm

Photo of Andrew BartlettAndrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kemp. I remind the minister and the Senate that the Senate agreed to a resolution last Thursday, in Child Protection Week, that expressed support for child protection to be made a national priority and for all governments to urgently decide on ways to significantly reduce child abuse and neglect in Australia. Given the indication of support from government senators for child protection to be made a national priority, can the minister outline the specific actions the federal government has undertaken to ensure that the totally unacceptable levels of child abuse and neglect in Australia are reduced? Can the minister explain why the federal government has failed to act on the 2004 Senate Community Affairs References Committee report Forgotten Australians and the 2005 Senate Community Affairs References Committee report Protecting vulnerable children: a national challenge, which both recommended creating a national commissioner for children and young people?

Photo of Rod KempRod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | | Hansard source

Thank you for the question. I am aware that across a range of areas the issue of child protection has been one to which the government has paid great attention. Let me draw the Senate’s attention to the great work by Mr Mal Brough in the area of Indigenous matters, which I think all of us would agree brought very serious issues to the attention of the public and to parliamentarians. I congratulate Minister Brough on the important work that he is doing in that particular area. I am also aware of the work Senator Coonan has been doing on the internet. I am also aware that those proposals have not always been supported by the Labor side of the parliament. Those are particular issues which the government has taken a real lead in and without much help if my memory serves me correctly—and you can correct me if I am mistaken—from the Labor Party or the Australian Democrats.

In the areas of family law and child protection, there is no doubt that this government has a very fine record in looking after and protecting children. It would be quite wrong to indicate that this government has not given a very high priority to this extremely important area. I will draw your question to the attention to Minister Brough,

Photo of Andrew BartlettAndrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note the minister’s comments in his response regarding Indigenous communities. I ask why it is that when there are unproven allegations of child abuse in Indigenous communities we have funding cut off to communities, administrators appointed and a large number of statements made across the media nationally, yet when we have proven reports of massive child abuse at levels described as ‘sickening’ by the Queensland Chief Justice and a report in today’s West Australian of 181 deaths of children known to be at risk in WA since 2002 all we get from the federal government are general comments about how nobody else is doing anything. Why isn’t the federal government going to live up to its commitment that it will make this a national priority and actually show some leadership on this most crucial of issues?

Photo of Rod KempRod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | | Hansard source

As you know, Senator, in relation to Indigenous child abuse, the Australian government called all states and territories to a national summit on violence and child abuse on 26 June in Canberra. The outcomes of that summit were subsequently endorsed by COAG at its July meeting. That was a very important step towards reducing family violence and child abuse.

I draw the attention of the Senate to the fact that the Australian government has contributed in the order of $130 million through a package of measures. In the time available to me now I am unable to list all of them, but there will be up to $40 million to improve police infrastructure in remote areas and up to $50 million for additional drug and alcohol treatment and rehab services in regional and remote areas. So, Senator, I think it is quite wrong of you to give the impression that in this very important area which you have raised the government is not taking the strongest possible action. (Time expired)