Page 549 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 9 March 2011
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entities—resources already allocated to perform work consistent with the government priorities. Function (e) is:
… to make recommendations about legislation policies, practices and services for implementation by the Territory and non-government bodies to help prevent or reduce the likelihood of the death of children and young people …
This is about preventing future child deaths. It is supported by the government and is consistent with a shared responsibility of government and the community for the care and protection provided to the children and young people in the territory. Function (f) is:
… to monitor the implementation of the committee’s recommendations …
This is supported by the government. Function (g) is:
… to report to the minister under the act …
This is supported by the government. Amendments are proposed that are consistent with a three-year committee model, providing a three-year annual report and other reports as determined by the committee.
Function (h) is a broad provision that states:
… any other function given to the committee by this chapter.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (10.08): The Greens agree to this amendment. This brings consistency to the bill and allows the committee to work towards providing a narrative and analysis of the issues for many patterns or trends that are identified that are arising from child deaths in the territory.
Amendment agreed to.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (10.08): I move amendment No 1 circulated in my name [see schedule 2 at page 687].
I put forward this amendment today to provide clarity to the bill. In attempting to protect the privacy of families, children and young people, we have added this amendment to provide definition about the functions of the committee. The role of the committee is not to be an investigative body or replicate any of the other territory processes, including the coronial process.
To provide a clear analysis and narrative, the committee will necessarily be required to review the circumstances and context of individual deaths of children and young people. Throughout the bill amendments have been made by the ACT Greens and the government to tighten the legislation so that the privacy and rights of families, individuals and the community are protected. However, we must also understand that we are required to look at each death and pull out the contextual issues and circumstances that will allow us to understand how best to work towards the prevention of deaths into the future.
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