Page 556 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 9 March 2011
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recording relevant information in a de-identified way into a database that would enable the analysis of the material by the committee. The register must maintain the names of children to enable other required and relevant information to be de-identified and coded. The register will be the only way of ensuring that the correct child is recorded in the correct year and that the analysis of data is correctly tabulated.
An amendment proposed by Ms Hunter to clause 4 through proposed new section 727L(3A) proposes that the register must not contain the names and addresses of children or young people who have died. While it is unclear as to the purpose of this amendment, government would consider that the register will be the only committee record of the names of the children and young people who have died, and this is crucial to the business of the committee.
This enables the research functions of the committee to be undertaken on trends and patterns when access to individual records of a sample population is required. If this were not required, there would possibly be no need for the register. This record is essential to the management of the information received. When an agency provides information of a child who has died, the register will record the death and the code whereby the data is included in the database for the purpose of analysis.
This ensures that, when other agencies provide information in accordance with the legislation about the same child, it is appropriately coded and entered into the database. Without appropriate checks and balances of this nature, recording difficulties would arise, which would impact on the reliability of the data analysed by the committee. It is on this basis that the government would not support an amendment that prevents this record to be compiled.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (10.32): The Greens agree to this technical amendment to give the chair of the committee the deciding vote. We believe the role of the independent chair will provide a sound voice or make a judgement based on the evidence and information provided by the committee regarding a locked decision.
It should be noted that the odds of this occurring are slim at best, and I expect the committee will be able to reach a consensus on the issues before it. In any case, there is sufficient space within the reporting process to canvas different ideas and opinions. Nevertheless, we are happy to accept that there may well come a time when this is reasonably required.
Amendment agreed to.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (10.33): I move amendment No 4 circulated in my name [see schedule 2 at page 688].
This amendment provides that the committee must include information on the register that pertains to the child or young person or a sibling of a child or a young person that has within three years prior to their death been the subject of a report that the chief executive decided under section 365 was a child protection report. This is the most appropriate point in time for us to identify this group, as it is a point at which the chief executive must take some action for vulnerable children and, therefore, the point at which we have the opportunity to intervene in these young people’s lives.
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