Page 4208 - Week 13 - Thursday, 27 November 2014
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MR GENTLEMAN: It is important work that the committee does. I just want to come back to some of those previous comments too. For the sake of clarity, 15 children and young people who died between 2009 and 2014 had been the subject of a child protection report. In that time frame, Care and Protection Services received information about 12 children and young people who died but did not meet the requirements of a child protection report.
At the time of death, 11 children and young people were the subject of an active intervention by Care and Protection Services. This group is a subset of the 15 children subject to the child protection report and not in addition, as incorrectly asserted by Ms Lawder’s media release. This means the actual number of deaths was 27, not 38 as quoted by Ms Lawder. Ms Lawder has misquoted the report of the child death review committee.
To paraphrase the words of Penny Gregory, the committee chair, this morning, the data in the report does not show a spike in deaths among children known to Care and Protection Services nor a broken system or ongoing failures on the part of public servants or their minister.
I do acknowledge that, following my request that Ms Lawder retract her media statement, she did email me and confirm that she was confused by the figures. I am pleased that I have been able to provide the opportunity to clarify this report to Ms Lawder and the Assembly. However, I remain disappointed that Ms Lawder has not retracted her disparaging and unwanted comments in that media release. I again implore Ms Lawder to withdraw her entire media statement, on the basis that the comments were incorrect and damaging.
Child protection is among the most complex work undertaken by government, and we continue to invest—(Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Dr Bourke.
DR BOURKE: Minister, what part can the broader community play to help protect children?
MADAM SPEAKER: Can you repeat the question, please, Dr Bourke?
DR BOURKE: Of course, Madam Speaker. Minister, what part can the broader community play to help protect children?
MADAM SPEAKER: It is a very broad question and seems to go well beyond the remit and intent of the original question and the answers that have come from it. However, so as not to be criticised for being a grinch and because it is the last question of the year, I will allow it, but perhaps in answering the question the minister might keep within the parameters of the general tone of the question, which is about the child death review committee.
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