Page 486 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 20 February 2019
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that there is still a lot of work to be done to make a difference in the statistics on Aboriginal children in care and that what is being done does not seem to be affecting the rates. The government is now halfway through a five-year strategy to improve the system, and interim recommendations from Our Booris, Our Way were received months ago. Minister, why are Indigenous children in Canberra 13.9 times more likely to be removed from their homes and put into care than non-Indigenous children in the ACT?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Wall for the question. I will go directly to the question that he asked. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and families often experience intergenerational trauma as a result of colonisation. This leads to increased rates of family and domestic violence, increased rates of mental illness and less likelihood of seeking help for mental health challenges, and greater rates of drug and alcohol abuse. Those three issues are the primary drivers of children and young people entering out of home care and child protection systems across the community.
We as a community need to understand the impact of intergenerational trauma, to understand the impact of past policies and practices and to understand that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions are what is really going to effect, at the end of the day, a significant reduction in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people coming into contact with the child protection system in the first place—stronger families, stronger parents, better access to services across the board, and services that are Indigenous led.
Mr Wall asked a question to which there are a lot of very complicated answers. But we are seeking, through Our Booris, Our Way, a wholly Aboriginal-led review, to better understand the drivers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people coming into contact with the child protection system and to address those drivers.
MR WALL: Minister, why should the local Indigenous community have faith in your ability to make effective change when key stakeholders within Indigenous communities have voiced their concern at the direction the government is heading?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: Again I thank Mr Wall for his supplementary. The Community Services Directorate and I, and directorates and ministers across government, work very closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community leaders and particularly the leaders of the main Aboriginal community controlled organisations, Winnunga Nimmityjah and Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation.
Of course they stand up for the community. Of course they fight for the people that they serve every day, as I would expect them to. Of course they hold us to account, as does the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body. Of course they want us to do more, and more quickly. And that is why we have established the review but it is also why, in establishing the Our Booris, Our Way review, we very clearly sought interim reports and recommendations and responded to those. Work has already commenced to progress improvements in some of the areas that Our Booris, Our Way has identified.
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