Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the report from the National Children's Commissioner, Children's Rights Report 2019, highlighted some critical issues in the protection of children's rights:

  (i) First Nations children experience significant inequalities in health, education, justice and child protection outcomes,

  (ii) there has been an increase in child deaths by suicide and hospitalisations for intentional self-harm,

  (iii) approximately 17% of children under the age of 15 live in poverty,

  (iv) there has been a 27% increase in reported substantiations of child abuse and neglect, and

  (v) the age of criminal responsibility is ten, which is low compared to other countries; and

(b) calls on the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to implement the important recommendations made in the report, including:

  (i) Australian Governments should urgently prioritise prevention and early intervention programs to reduce the number of children entering child protection systems and removing barriers to sustained reunification of children with their families by strengthening services and supports leading up to and post-reunification,

  (ii) the Australian Government should make the Transition to Independent Living Allowance for children available for all care leavers leaving home up to the age of 25,

  (iii) the Australian Government should develop a national poverty reduction plan that explicitly focuses on children, and

  (iv) Australian Governments should raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years and abolish mandatory minimum sentencing laws that apply to children.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The National Children's Commissioner's Children's rights report 2019 warrants careful consideration from governments at all levels, which the government will give.

Question agreed to.