Page 1846 - Week 05 - Thursday, 16 May 2019
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reform of this nature takes time. A step up for our kids aims to create generational change, break cycles of intergenerational harm and improve long-term outcomes for families, children and young people.
We cannot change the system overnight and there will always be more to do, but I can assure Canberrans and people in this place that the very difficult work our dedicated child protection professionals do is done at all times with children at the centre and their best interests at the forefront of every decision made. These dedicated staff undertake what is really some of the most difficult work in government. I commend them for doing that work that I know that many, if not most in this place, could never do.
I acknowledge Mrs Kikkert’s similar remarks. I know that Mrs Kikkert has said it is not her intention that this inquiry will be about apportioning blame. I hope that this is the case and that the focus of the inquiry is rather about supporting the evolving practice of care and protection work.
In supporting the amended motion, I thank care and protection staff, those in the legal profession, families and those in this place for their commitment to pursuing the best interests of the child and their commitment to continued improvement in our child and youth protection services. This includes the legal professionals who shared their perspectives at a forum on Tuesday evening. I hope that these conversations will continue alongside the HACS committee inquiry, both within the profession and between the profession and government.
The lives and wellbeing of the children, young people and families in contact with care and protection are too important for partisan politics or for the making of inaccurate claims. While we might not always agree with one another, I know that for all of us, when we discuss these matters, our passion comes from a place of concern for the best interests of children and young people. Again, I thank Mrs Kikkert and Ms Le Couteur and their offices for the tripartisan way this motion has been brought to the chamber and commend the amended motion to the Assembly.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (3.30) I thank Mrs Kikkert for bringing forward this referral to the HACS committee. Through this referral she is attempting to initiate a process that will provide an opportunity for the distressing issues this particular family has faced to be explored, but, more importantly, it will initiate a process which can assist with identifying broader systemic issues in relation to the sharing of information under the Children and Young People Act and provide the broader community with some reassurances regarding the most vulnerable children in Canberra—those in the care and protection system.
There are always risks of misinformation and misinterpretation when such emotive and highly complex care and protection matters are aired and opined about in the media. The case that has brought this on today has taken five years to get to some kind of resolution. It is impossible as laypeople to fully understand some of the issues that have been explored over this time. The inquiry may at least give some of the critical voices a formal way to air their issues.
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