Page 1282 - Week 05 - Thursday, 4 June 2020

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video


I do not believe that it was a misrepresentation. Mr Barr said that he found my suggestion of a list of pastimes offensive. I would think that every unemployed club staff member would find Mr Barr’s media statement on what they do for a job, and his being so dismissive about it, to be offensive.

Children and young people—parental contact

MRS KIKKERT (Ginninderra) (5.05): Above all else, I am a wife and a mother. Last night I sat down with my daughter and went through her most recent test. I am glad she is safe and that I have the joy of seeing her every single day, along with my other four children.

When a mother cannot see their child, I hurt as a mother. When I hear of injustice towards a mother, I hurt. When I hear a voice in the wilderness, of a mother screaming to see her child, I hurt as a mother. When a mother’s grief and plea to see her child is ignored, I hurt as a mother and, as a willing body, voice and representative of the community, I become her voice in this Legislative Assembly.

With this in mind, let me state that there is a hidden injustice in the government’s own administration. Since 2004 there have been 11 reviews into the ACT child protection service. Most of these reviews have been completed; some are currently underway. Over 16 years, there have been 11 reviews into CYPS. People are tired of seeing these reviews. Nothing has changed. Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith is too weak to take any real action. As a consequence, injustice lives and breathes inside them while children and families are suffering in our community. I am standing up today and telling them enough is enough. The injustice inside CYPS needs to stop. The minister needs to step up and do something, rather than providing lip-service.

A case of a parent willing and ready to see their child is the latest I have seen of this injustice. I have seen court orders that state that there should be contact between child and mother at least once per month. Since last July the child has not seen her mother. The mother emailed for contact, with a few suggestions of contact at the mall or playground. These were rejected as a place of contact. I thought decisions were based on the best interests of the child. When CYPS suggested a place for contact, the mother was told she could not bring her parents. This government stopped responding to the parent’s emails with suggestions of contact and no longer offered any contact with her child. “Forget about the court order,” they think.

I have on record that the child wants to see the parent. It took an innocent child to say, “I want to see my mum,” for CYPS to re-establish the contact between mother and child. A phone call happened, due to COVID-19, between child and mother. A phone call that was meant to be for 30 minutes only lasted for four minutes, after they hung up on the child when the mother told her she was trying to see her. Are you kidding me? This is appalling and an experience that engenders distrust in the innocent child. For the minister to allow it to happen is damaging this child’s mental wellbeing. The minister is too weak. We do not need a minister being picky on who to save and who not to save. You do not get to choose if and when a mother sees her child. No, no, no.


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video