Page 2196 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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I note Mrs Dunne’s comments in relation to the provision of information to the committee. I want to say, as I did to the committee on a number of occasions, that it was always our absolute commitment that the committee be provided with significant information; but we needed to do that in a way that was going to protect officials and protect the best interests of the children and the family involved in this circumstance. That was a complex matter. I would not want members of the Assembly to think that we were, in any way, trying to not provide the information to the committee; we were trying to find a way in which we could do that in line with the advice that had been provided to the executive and to officials on the barriers to that information sharing.
In the end, the committee did use its formal powers to seek information from the executive in relation to this inquiry. We all agree that that was an appropriate thing to do in light of our inability to reach agreement between the committee and officials on an information sharing protocol. I am pleased that we reached a point where we could provide that substantial information to the committee; it clearly informed their consideration.
As well as thanking the committee for their work in examining these issues, I want to thank them for the thoughtfulness and sensitivity shown during the whole inquiry; and I want to thank all of those who shared their experiences with the committee.
As Ms Cody has indicated, child and youth protection is incredibly complex. It covers a range of incredibly complex and emotional issues, and it is a difficult subject matter. There is not a perfect child protection system anywhere in the world; but we are absolutely committed to continuing our work to improve our child protection system, to make it more therapeutic and more restorative, and to hear the voices of parents, children, families and carers, as well as experts who work across the legal and community parts of the system. We will continue to do that should we have the opportunity.
I again thank the committee. Their work will contribute to ongoing reform in the child protection system. It has been an important inquiry.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Public Accounts—Standing Committee
Report 13
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (10.36): I present the following report:
Public Accounts—Standing Committee—Report 13—Inquiry into Auditor-General Report No 8 of 2018: Assembly of rural land west of Canberra, dated 27 August 2020, together with a copy of the extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings.
I move:
That the report be noted.
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