Page 4155 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 21 September 2011
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abandonment. Their parents may be in jail, on drugs or have simply disappeared. These are children who do not know where to turn. These are children whose natural advocates are not there when they need them. They do not necessarily know where their next meal is coming from They do not know whether they will have a roof over their head tonight. They do not know whether the clothes that they are growing out of will be replaced. They do not know whether they will get to school tomorrow. They do not know how to be children for the most part, and often there is no-one there to hug them when they cry. These are the children for whom the care and protection group and ultimately this minister are responsible. But in this case that we are talking about today they have failed in that responsibility.
The Children and Young People Act sets out the requirements for caring for these young citizens in our community. The directorate, and in particular the care and protection group, are responsible for the administration of that act—and we have got senior executives in that group who do not know whether the act applies in particular situations. On Wednesday two weeks ago, so a fortnight ago today, for a bit over an hour and a half I had senior officials in my office briefing me on the situation that had arisen. I understand that Ms Hunter has had a similar briefing. In that briefing it became clear to me that I was not getting straight answers—not because people particularly wanted to hide things from me but because they did not know. I asked the question: “Does an organisation have to be approved as a suitable entity”—it is a technical term under the act—“to provide transport and supervise contact services for children and young people?” The answer was: “Yes. Perhaps. No. We will really have to check the legislation.”
I asked, “Can an organisation be given residential care assignments for children and young people under the care of the directorate without being approved first of all as a suitable entity?” The answer was, “Apparently so.” The directorate has given several such placements to an organisation, and that organisation brought this issue to light with me, with Ms Hunter and eventually with the minister when the minister deigned to meet with them.
Just as an aside, this organisation had been trying to get a meeting with the minister for two weeks before they came to me, and it was only after it was clear that I had met with them and Ms Hunter had met with them that the minister deigned to meet them. That is what the time line will show. Ms Burch here only really gets involved when she suddenly realises that she is in political hot water. And you do not do that when you are dealing with vulnerable children.
I asked the directorate in that briefing whether they could justify placing children with an organisation which was not a suitable entity when this was an emergency situation. According to them and to the minister, yes, they can do that. The officials told me that also about two weeks ago. Certainly the act contemplates emergency situations, but it sets out a process to be followed to formalise arrangements made in emergency situations. However, there is no evidence that this happened in this case or in the cases that are before us now. Just how many times would the directorate give emergency placements to an organisation not approved as a suitable entity before following the legislated process? It is quite clear it has happened a number of times.
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