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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-13 Daily Xml
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CHILD ABUSE ROYAL COMMISSION

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (14:57): Can the Premier outline the state government's response to the Prime Minister's announcement regarding the royal commission into abused children?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:57): The state government's position is very clear: we welcome the royal commission into the abuse of children in this country. It is a very important inquiry to get at the heart of, obviously, this evil, that we know is all too prevalent within our community. We are aware that the federal government has not yet settled precisely the terms and mechanism by which this royal commission will operate.

We have certainly offered our advice and support and cooperation, but also our insights as a consequence of the Mullighan commission of inquiry into state care, which I think was regarded almost universally as being not only a very successful inquiry but the processes which it employed to deal with this very difficult and sensitive issue were ones that were regarded as best practice.

The choices that we made about that on that occasion, and the choices that I believe should inform the steps that the federal government takes, is that we thought that it was important that the inquiry be a healing process. It was critical that people who had their voices essentially not able to be heard were able to have, for many of them, the first occasion where their voices would be fully heard. We know that the difficulties associated with the criminal law, the difficulties associated with civil proceedings and, indeed, the very processes in the institutions that should have been there to support them were not available. We imagine that these will be the similar revelations that occur in relation to this particular inquiry.

The critical element to success that actually allowed the Mullighan inquiry to achieve what it sought to achieve, and achieve the things that it did achieve, is the respectful listening to the voices of those who had been affected, in an environment where they felt safe, and where their stories were respected, often for the first time.

So, that is of course the process that we hope will be undertaken in relation to this royal commission. It is a massive enterprise, and we understand that, but it is a very brave thing that I think all of our federal politicians have decided to stand up and support, from all parties, and we offer our cooperation and support.

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