Page 4210 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 24 October 2018
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young people need to get a strong message that this kind of behaviour is absolutely not acceptable, and there are other ways in which to have relationships; okay, relationships with disagreements, but there are alternatives to this sort of behaviour where there are disagreements. Children need to realise that there are alternatives and they need to realise that despite the reality they are in, while it is real, there are alternatives. They need to realise that they do have a right to be safe, even if that is not a right that is currently being afforded to them.
This is outside the scope of this motion but, in talking about this, it is hard not to think about the children on Nauru and in other detention centres where the Australian government is arguably perpetuating institutional child abuse.
Unless children and young people are supported to deal with the inevitable trauma arising from their exposure to domestic and family violence and child sexual abuse, society will continue to grapple with this wicked problem. Not only will directly supporting a child or a young person make their individual life better; it will actually make society better, because it is going to improve their chances of going on to be a participatory member of the community. We all stand to benefit from this. It seriously reduces their chances of going on and perpetuating these cycles in the future.
It is clear that in this jurisdiction, a human rights compliant jurisdiction, we must uphold the human rights of children and young people. The ACT Human Rights Act states at clause 11(2):
Every child has the right to the protection needed by the child because of being a child, without distinction or discrimination of any kind.
Again, what we are doing to children overseas does come to mind.
I note that the next clause in the ACT Human Rights Act refers to the right to privacy and reputation, which says:
Everyone has the right—
(a) not to have his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence interfered with unlawfully or arbitrarily; and
(b) not to have his or her reputation unlawfully attacked.
Taking these rights into consideration highlights the complexity regarding the better collection and use of data, which is why I support an amendment to a considered whole-of-government response rather than recommendation 5, which relates to using data and evidence.
I very much look forward, as I am sure the whole Assembly does, to the government’s full response, and recognise the already established commitment to addressing the issues. In the minister’s own words, quoted in the DVPC report:
… funding alone is not the answer. Real change requires strong leadership …
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