Page 2686 - Week 12 - Thursday, 16 November 1989
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MR BERRY: With the use of this very modern device here I might be able to help you hear better.
Mr Humphries: It is a Berry booster, is it?
MR BERRY: A Berry booster, yes, but of course Mr Humphries would know that Berry needs no boosting when it comes to attacking the Liberal Party for their misplays in the health issue.
These descriptions or paraphrasing cause me great concern. I will just refer to a couple of them, Mr Speaker. This is from the Family Association document. Article 13 assures to the child the right to freedom of expression which is declared to include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds. The Family Association document states:
This provision could make it very difficult for parents to resist exposure of children in schools and elsewhere to material which parents may find objectionable on religious, moral or other grounds.
The UNICEF briefing kit, of course, describes article 13 in a very different way. It states:
The child has the right to freedom of expression and information, subject to any restrictions necessary to protect the rights of others, or public order, health or morals.
In relation to article 14 the Family Association document talks about the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. It says:
Parents and guardians are allowed by the convention only a limited right to direct children in the exercise of this right. Parents might find that this article could create difficulties for them if they were trying to discourage their children from joining fringe religious sects or trying to encourage their children to adhere to traditional religious practices in the family.
The UNICEF document, of course, describes it in this way:
The child has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, subject to the right of parents and guardians to provide direction and guidance.
So there is a very clear conflict there. I must say, Mr Speaker, when it comes to an analysis of the convention on the rights of the child, the UNICEF briefing kit has got my vote.
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