❓ A parliamentary question probes whether the Minister for Community Development knowingly withheld information about child abuse cases in foster care during a previous inquiry. The Minister's response claims the full extent of the audit was unknown at the time of the initial question and that the original question was specifically about foster carers, not all children in foster care.
AnsweredQoN 86Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) In March 2004 when the minister was asked if the audit of child abuse in foster care referred to in The West Australian of 28 January 2004 had been undertaken, did the minister know then that, in addition to the 80 substantiated cases of child abuse by foster carers the audit had revealed a total of 253 cases of abuse of children in foster care for the period 1993 to March 2004 - 80 by foster carers and 173 by people other than foster carers? (2) If yes, why did the minister omit to inform the Parliament of the full extent of the audit and, by that omission, mislead the Parliament or be disingenuous? Hon SUE ELLERY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The minister has advised that when the member or any member asks a question in Parliament the minister makes every effort to answer the question diligently and specifically. (1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
(2) If yes, why did the minister omit to inform the Parliament of the full extent of the audit and, by that omission, mislead the Parliament or be disingenuous? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The minister has advised that when the member or any member asks a question in Parliament the minister makes every effort to answer the question diligently and specifically. (1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The minister has advised that when the member or any member asks a question in Parliament the minister makes every effort to answer the question diligently and specifically. (1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The minister has advised that when the member or any member asks a question in Parliament the minister makes every effort to answer the question diligently and specifically. (1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
The minister has advised that when the member or any member asks a question in Parliament the minister makes every effort to answer the question diligently and specifically. (1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
(1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
(2) If yes, why did the minister omit to inform the Parliament of the full extent of the audit and, by that omission, mislead the Parliament or be disingenuous? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The minister has advised that when the member or any member asks a question in Parliament the minister makes every effort to answer the question diligently and specifically. (1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The minister has advised that when the member or any member asks a question in Parliament the minister makes every effort to answer the question diligently and specifically. (1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The minister has advised that when the member or any member asks a question in Parliament the minister makes every effort to answer the question diligently and specifically. (1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
The minister has advised that when the member or any member asks a question in Parliament the minister makes every effort to answer the question diligently and specifically. (1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
(1)-(2) On 29 March 2004 the audit process confirmed that there had been 253 cases of substantiated abuse in care in the period 1993-94 to March 2004. This number of cases was not known at the time the member asked the question. On 2 March 2004 the question asked referred specifically to child abuse by foster carers. The question was not about children in foster care.
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