Page 3710 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 24 August 2011
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ensure that young people and young adults are provided with a range of supports not dissimilar to those available to other young people in family situations.
I cannot stress enough that a bill like this is intended to provide guidance and keep the issue of supporting young people to transition to independence on the agenda as well as provide a legal framework to assist in achieving better outcomes. However, change in any system like the care and protection system requires an ongoing commitment to achieving the best outcomes possible. It is about raising our expectations and making sure that children, young people and young adults are encouraged to become the best they can be. At times, our transition planning, when done, has resulted in churning young people out into a welfare-dependent situation that encourages cycles of dysfunction and poverty.
We need to understand that breaking the cycle can, in many cases, come down simply to ensuring that every child who comes into our care and protection system receives those five key experiences of caring adults in their lives, safe places to live, a healthy start, effective education and opportunities to help others.
This bill provides an extension of our legislative responsibility as a way to ensure that we are engaged in a process of continuous improvement and innovation in policy and practice with regard to the needs of young people and young adults transitioning to independence.
I look forward to working with Minister Burch and Mrs Dunne to develop and legislate supports for those young people and young adults transitioning to independence in a way that gives them the greatest possible opportunity for a successful life.
Debate (on motion by Mr Corbell) adjourned to the next sitting.
Crimes (Offences Against Police) Amendment Bill 2011
Exposure draft
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition), by leave: I present the following paper:
Crimes (Offences Against Police) Amendment Bill 2011—Exposure draft.
I seek leave to make a brief statement in relation to the paper.
Leave granted.
MR SESELJA: I rise today to introduce a very important piece of legislation that will send a strong message that the Canberra Liberals at least are ready and willing to offer protection to our police officers, just as they are so ready and willing to protect us. Today I introduce an exposure draft of the Crimes (Offences Against Police) Amendment Bill 2011. This bill recognises that our police officers face unique difficulties and are expected to face difficult situations and provide specialised services and, therefore, need and deserve the protection of specialised legislation.
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