Page 4100 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 22 October 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
I agree with Mr Stefaniak that there may well have been cases in the past where child abuse situations should properly have been reported to the police for proper punishment of the offenders. But, as I said last week when introducing a Bill, not all cases should be prosecuted - in the interests of the child, the parties and so forth. I think this is a bit of a crude attempt to produce this reform. I think we should revisit this matter when we have the report of the Community Law Reform Committee.
Mr Stefaniak: We can all go round in circles for a little while longer.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Stefaniak has interjected, saying that we are going around in circles. I share his frustration. It is an issue that this community needs to get to. Mandatory reporting at one stage had some very unfortunate consequences in the United Kingdom and, as one of my colleagues in this Assembly mentioned only today, compensation is being paid only just now to those parents. It is an involved issue. It should remain with the Community Law Reform Committee. I do not believe that the Assembly should make that decision tonight in consideration of this Bill.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (10.11), in reply: I take it from the remarks of Mr Stefaniak and Mr Collaery that there is general support for the principle of the Bill, but there is clearly a series of detailed amendments that Mr Stefaniak intends to move. I think there are fairly clear views on those amendments; but Mr Stefaniak has raised a couple of other detailed points this evening, as has Mr Duby. The Government is prepared, as we have been in the past, to thus adjourn the detail stage so that that can be sorted out.
I have said before, though, that if people have detailed concerns or comments, if they can make them known to me at an early stage, I will provide the officials. I will do what we did with the guardianship legislation; that is, sit people down and we will go through it. And, if there are concerns that are well founded, the Government has shown that it is prepared to accept amendments, and prepared to sponsor amendments. I am reluctant, when what may be valid concerns are raised on the floor of the house, to try to steamroll it through. But I would urge members, if they have a concern, to raise it early so that we can think about it.
On the general principle of the Bill, this is an instance when I am really at one with Mr Collaery on a number of issues. I believe that the amendments that are being moved by Mr Stefaniak are ill-founded. With regard to the amendment for mandatory reporting, this is not a black and white issue, Mr Stefaniak; if it were, we would all be in favour of it. If mandatory reporting would be effective in
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .