Page 2689 - Week 12 - Thursday, 16 November 1989
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considerable concern about the rights of the parent in relation to the rights of the child. If we read article 5 of the convention on the rights of the child it is quite clear that the parents also have rights. The parents or guardians or others who are responsible for the child have a right to give direction and guidance to their child, consistent with the rights of the child. This article, Mr Speaker, applies to all specific rights of the child and is recognised in the convention.
Mr Collaery has already mentioned one aspect in relation to parental care and separation from parents - articles 9 and 10 - in relation to family reunification. We are all aware of the decisions that have been taken by the Federal Labor Government to remove two children from their parents in this fair city of ours, to require them to leave the ACT because of Federal Government decisions. The members of the Rally trust and hope that the Federal Government will review this particular matter because the children have the right to family reunification and have the right not to be separated from their parents.
Article 12 is on the child's right to express his or her own opinion, Mr Speaker. I have already referred to that in relation to my own experiences with my children. I think it is important that our children receive that important guidance and information. With freedom of association, I know that many of us with growing teenagers have some problems at times with the company that our children keep. But, Mr Speaker, let me put it to the members that I think it is our responsibility to make sure that we give our children all the guidance and information they need to encourage them to make the best of the opportunities that are put before them. We cannot make decisions for them. We can only hope and trust that we will provide the necessary guidance to our children and they will make the decisions in their own interests. Therefore, we then have freedom of association. We must trust in our own abilities to guide our children in that area.
One of the other areas that I wish to comment on, Mr Speaker, is article 30, which says that children of minorities or indigenous populations must have rights. Many of us who have looked at the history of the Aboriginal people in this country, particularly since white settlement, have found that the history of Australia has been rewritten in some respects in relation to the Aboriginal people. Those children, Mr Speaker, had no rights; they were removed from their parents in an attempt to bring them up into an alien way of life. I think that we should deplore any proposals or any - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Members, please, there is a caucus room out the back. Every member has a right to be heard; he does not have a right to be listened to but he certainly has a right to be heard. Please abide by the rulings. If you wish to caucus in such groups, remove yourselves to the
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