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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-06-03 Daily Xml
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Motions

Child Protection

The Hon. S.G. WADE (16:58): I move:

That it be an instruction to the Select Committee on Statutory Child Protection and Care in South Australia that its terms of reference be amended by inserting the following additional term of reference—

1A. That the select committee further inquire into and report on—

(a) the government’s responses to the recommendations; and

(b) the implementation of the government’s responses to recommendations, including policy and legislation in respect of the following reports:

(i) the Review of Child Protection in South Australia;

(ii) Children in State Care Commission of Inquiry;

(iii) Commission of Inquiry (Children on the APY Lands);

(iv) Select Committee on Families SA;

(v) Report of the Coronial Inquest in the Death of Chloe Lee Valentine;

(vi) Child Protection Systems Royal Commission; and

(vii) any other relevant report.

The motion proposes that an instruction be sent to the Select Committee on Statutory Child Protection and Care in South Australia so the committee would look at the implementation of reports related to child protection and care. The Weatherill Labor government has both a poor record of managing child protection services and a poor record in delivering service improvements, even when recommended by reviews.

During the last 13 years, the Labor government has received reports from the Layton inquiry, two inquiries by Justice Mullighan, the Debelle inquiry, as well as a number of other reports, including reports from the Child Death and Serious Injury Review Committee and the Coroner's Court.

Many recommendations of those reports have not been implemented even when the recommendations have been accepted by the government. Extending the terms of reference of the existing select committee would see the committee overview the implementation of a series of reports including the recent Coroner's recommendations from the inquest into Chloe Valentine's death. The committee is currently in the late stages of a report on foster care. If this motion is supported, that report would be an interim report of the committee, and the committee would go on to consider this matter as its next matter for consideration.

If the council considers that the council could add value in this oversight role, I think that the first task the committee would need to undertake is to consider how best it could add value. As Chair of the committee, I do not think the committee would add value if it is merely a compiler of a checklist of recommendations and responses. Some of the response recommendations were made as long as 12 years ago, and much has changed since they were made. However, there are a number of clear recurring themes in this report, and in my view it would make sense to consider progress on those themes as well as progress on the implementation of specific recommendations.

The committee would need to ensure that its work supports the stabilisation of Families SA as it works to fulfil its vital role within our community. I put to the house that this motion is a responsible expression of the accountability of the executive to the parliament, and surely we have no greater duty as parliamentarians than the duty to protect our children, some of the most vulnerable members of our community. This motion will give us the opportunity as a parliament to hold the executive to account in their responsibilities in this area also. I commend the motion to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.M. Gazzola.

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