Child Protection Stakeholders

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:10): My question is again to the Minister for Child Protection. What advice, if any, has the minister received from the Guardian for Children and Young People, the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People and the Commissioner for Children and Young People in relation to legislative reform, and when did the minister last meet with these stakeholders? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TEAGUE: A letter to members of the Legislative Council dated 25 November 2024 and co-signed by all three stakeholders said:

As experts in this field, and on behalf of children and young people in South Australia, we have substantive advice and evidence to provide government on required legislative reform. To date, our advice and evidence has not been heeded.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence) (15:11): Again, thank you—

The SPEAKER: Minister, is this the legislation that came through this morning and is still before the house?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: No.

The SPEAKER: No, different legislation. The minister.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: So, again, this legislation is very complex. Firstly, I have had a number of meetings with each of the stakeholders that the shadow minister, deputy leader, speaks about. I have had a number of meetings with each of those parties—of course I have—and many discussions about issues pertaining to the child protection and family support system. One of the issues—because there are so many complex issues in this field that it would be very difficult to take the shadow minister through each of them in addition to the briefing I have already given him about this bill. One of the areas I would focus on is in relation to advice received from the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People.

In line with the report—her Holding on to Our Future report that was tabled in this house—one of the things that is recommended and that she turns her mind to in that report is the application of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle and how we could embed in legislation the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle to the standard of active efforts, something that has been long discussed by SNAICC, the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People and a range of other stakeholders. So, for instance, in relation to that particular element that is in this legislation. It is very clearly a centrepiece of this legislation. There are other issues that have been raised by those stakeholders and I look forward to our continuing discussions with them beyond the passage of this legislation.