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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 01 Hansard (Thursday, 12 February 2004) . . Page.. 324 ..

We need to respect children’s rights, recognise the fact that they have a voice in this community and support them to speak out about events that impact on them. I refer not just to children who are suffering abuse but to all young people. I think it should also be recognised that the issue of child protection has demanded greater attention and priority since the revelations put forth by the Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services.

It is incumbent on politicians of all persuasions to ensure that events like these never happen again. Reviews of the system must be undertaken regularly, not in an endeavour to find fault with child protection workers or public servants—or even crusades to pursue ministers—to continue to ensure first class services for children and to ensure that these services always operate at best practice. Never again should youth and family services have their budgets cut or be left to stagnate. No surplus is worth endangering our children.

I would like to talk specifically about the issue of child abuse and the fact that we need to stop the problem of child abuse. We must tackle the problem in a threefold process using education, cure and legislation. Our children, young people and adults must be educated on the value of human rights and they must be taught that they are worthwhile human beings. The cure element of the solution would support all families and children who need support. There is legislation in place to protect the rights of children, young people and their families. That legislation is being reviewed, but we need a department that is able to carry out that policy.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have four minutes, Ms Tucker.

MS TUCKER (4.19): I will be brief. I will make just a couple of points. I also thought this debate was going to be about child protection. I have quite a few pages of notes that I intended to read out about how we can ensure the protection of children in the ACT. But this is clearly more about the smell of blood that Mrs Burke has for Ms Gallagher at the moment and about her desire to punish Ms Gallagher. I find it quite strange that Mrs Burke did not simply move a censure motion or something, because that is clearly what she is aiming at.

If a censure motion were brought into this place on this issue at this point in time, I would be expanding the motion to include the opposition, and myself as a member of the Legal Affairs Committee. I have raised this issue and responded to concerns about this matter many times. Mrs Burke certainly was not across the issue at all when it first came to light after the minister took the initiative on the matter. So there has been a general failure of the opposition in that regard. As I said, I include myself in that comment.

We have seen the Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services taking responsibility and showing initiative in a way that I have never before seen in this place. Rather than the blood-letting, I am really interested in seeing that we look at how we can improve child protection. This is a really big question. As I said, I have five or six pages of notes here on how that can be done, but I am not going to have time to present them today.

I support the Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Ms Gallagher. I support what she is trying to do. We need to watch closely to see how these

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