Page 1217 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 2 April 2019

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The way this young person talked about the relationships they now have with their caseworker and with their Australian Childhood Foundation worker highlighted once again, as I said in my report on my trip, that it is all about relationships. Like the report of the round table, the CREATE report contains insights that also will contribute to our knowledge base and findings that will, of course, challenge how work is done in child and youth protection services.

While the questions and the methodology differ, the results highlight similar issues to those in the AIHW report The views of children and young people in out-of-home care: Overview of indicator results from the second national survey, 2018, also released in early March. I would like to thank CREATE for their work, in particular our tireless ACT office of Susan Pellegrino and Nicky Link.

I would also like to acknowledge the young people who participated in the two surveys and the round table, as well as those who shared their views in the talking practice forum last year. Thank you for taking the time to be involved, to share your experiences and to help us build a stronger system to keep young people safe. To those young people, I say that we have heard you and we will continue to work to improve the system that is there to support you.

Madam Speaker, with 30 seconds left I would like briefly to note a significant event this week. For those who may not yet have heard, tomorrow is our colleague Bec Cody’s birthday. I wish her all the best for tomorrow. I know that there is nowhere she would rather be than in the chamber with all of us, not drinking cocktails with little umbrellas in them.

Ms Cody’s birthday

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries) (5.29), in reply: I too rise to talk about the significant event tomorrow, Bec Cody’s birthday. We will remind her that it was 14½ years ago that she first came to work for me in this place. Tongue firmly in cheek, happy 21st, Bec, and have a good day.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

The Assembly adjourned at 5.30 pm.


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