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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-10-27 Daily Xml
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Child Protection

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (14:55): My question again is to the Minister for Child Protection. Minister, how many children in care are using dating apps?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:55): We have a nationwide and a worldwide issue currently and that is e-safety. We are the first country in the world to have an eSafety Commissioner appointed by the federal government, which is to be commended, and there is a lot of work being done.

My department has been working with the eSafety Commissioner looking at different training and procedures. In fact, this morning, before parliament, I was at a round table into missing children, and one of the presentations was from the MacKillop Foundation, which will be rolling out extra training to all our staff. The program is called Power to Kids: Respecting Sexual Safety, which will be issued to all our residential care staff and which focuses on prevention and early intervention strategies to help children and young people at risk of experiencing harmful sexual behaviours, child exploitation and dating violence.

We all know too well, particularly even in this house, that predators will prey on our most vulnerable children—

The SPEAKER: Minister, there is a point of order.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —and they will put themselves in roles of responsibility.

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee on a point of order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: The question was very specific about how many children in care are using dating apps.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: If there is another contribution on the point of order, I am happy to hear it.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Standing order 98: debate. The contribution to date from the minister goes nowhere near the substance of the question.

The SPEAKER: In fact, I had in mind an alternative. I had well heard the member for Lee. I appreciate very much the point of order being raised, but I had in mind that there may be a response from the Leader of Government Business.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: The minister is talking specifically about a round table that she attended this morning, which included exactly this topic. So she is on topic and I seek that you allow her to continue.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is reasonably persuasive. I will continue to hear the minister, but I do draw the minister's attention to the standing orders.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: We have an e-safety procedure policy that all children and young people in care sign when they have a device that is given to them. If they have a phone, an iPad or a computer they sign an agreement, and part of that agreement states the rules and responsibilities and what they are allowed to do. Of course, when going on a dating app you must first be over 18, so it is illegal; they shouldn't be going on it anyway. But we do have a signed agreement; we do have a policy and procedure.

Again, mentioning my visit to Mount Gambier on Friday, the houses that I visited have their own internet rules, and the internet was available only between three and eight on a school day and three and 10 on a weekend—Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Each individual house, depending on the needs of each individual child, just as a foster care home or a kinship carer home, will have their own specific rules, as do all parents have their own rules—

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order, minister. I will hear the point of the order from the member for Lee.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Once again, standing order 98. It was a very specific question about how many children in care were using dating apps.

The SPEAKER: I will draw the minister's attention to the standing order. There was some digression, but it is equally right to say that there was significant substance. The minister has the call.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: Clearly, the opposition has no interest in what we are doing to keep children safe—

The SPEAKER: Minister, that is straying into debate, so I draw your attention to the question. It was substantial matters of substance that you are addressing, and I will bring you to those.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: This is pertinent to the answer because this is a worldwide issue. This is not just an issue being experienced by children in guardianship. All children, all parents around Australia, the world, are facing the same problem. Can the member for Reynell tell me how many children under 18 have dating apps on the phone for the whole of Australia? Is it even relevant?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Minister, there's a point of order. Member for Lee, I anticipate that you are going to draw my attention to the minister's rhetorical device. It was reasonably rhetorical, but I do see that the minister is making an attempt to answer the substance of the question. Are there other matters that you wish to draw to my attention?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: As Meatloaf would say, 'You took the words right out of my mouth,' sir.

The SPEAKER: The minister has the call.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: I have completed my answer, thank you. They are clearly not listening.

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