White Balloon Day

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (16:12): I move:

That this council—

1. Recognises that White Balloon Day is on 7 September and is a day that raises awareness about protecting children from sexual assault;

2. Acknowledges that White Balloon Day is Australia's largest and longest running child protection campaign dedicated to the prevention of child sexual assault;

3. Congratulates Bravehearts and White Balloon Day on their work that has helped to educate over 800,000 children across Australia about personal safety; and

4. Recognises that this is the 22^nd year that White Balloon Day has been running and uniting communities to break the silence on child sexual assault.

In this motion, this council would recognise that White Balloon Day was held on 7 September and that it was a day that raised awareness about protecting children from sexual assault. I acknowledge that all members of this council who were present in this chamber that day did indeed wear the same badge that I am wearing today in honour of and as a tribute to the work of White Balloon Day. We also congratulate Bravehearts and White Balloon Day on their work that has helped to educate over 800,000 children across Australia about personal safety. We recognise that this is the 22^nd year that White Balloon Day has been running and uniting communities to break the silence on child sexual assault.

I certainly know that that is something that many members of this council not only feel passionate about but are also committed to working together to combat. The invaluable work of Bravehearts is one part of this. I introduced this motion while recognising that last week was also National Child Protection Week. I know that members in both houses acknowledge the importance of that as well.

Bravehearts is an extraordinary organisation that uses education to empower and protect our children. It has been Australia's lead organisation in child protection for 22 years and is the only organisation responsible for White Balloon Day. It is Australia's only national awareness and fundraising campaign dedicated to preventing child sexual assault through generating awareness. It helps to educate children and their parents and adults of the need to do more to protect children from a crime that affects more than 60,000 children in our nation every single year. Bravehearts employs a dedicated team of some 64 people who work to prevent child sexual assault and provide education and training programs, specialist counselling and support services, as well as research, advocacy and lobbying, while also undertaking their reform campaigns.

The white balloon was adopted as the symbol of Bravehearts following a public demonstration in Belgium in 1996, where 300,000 people gathered with white balloons in solidarity for the parents of those children who were the victims of a previously convicted and released paedophile. Bravehearts continued the tradition the following year and has done so every year since, hence White Balloon Day.

Now, after 22 years, the white balloon represents a symbol of hope for survivors of child sexual assault, and encourages them to break the silence by speaking out. In Australia, a child is sexually assaulted every 90 minutes, which is appalling. This is a deeply confronting statistic. That is one in five children who are sexually harmed in some way before their 18^th birthdays. This is entirely unacceptable. Child protection is everybody's business. State governments are amongst the most important stakeholders in child protection.

Following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, recommendation 6.12 calls on all levels of government nationally to help protect children in their communities. We, here in this place, have passed legislation just this very week addressing this issue. With those few words, I note that we have much more to do, and I hope we will all, in support of this motion, which I commend the members of the council, recommit ourselves to that task ahead.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.J. Stephens.