❓ The Minister acknowledges community groups and addresses concerns about Indigenous child placement, clarifying the principle's role and providing statistics on children in care. The highest rate of placement under the principle was 85% in 1998.
AnsweredQoN 621Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INDIGENOUS CHILD PLACEMENT PRINCIPLE
When, over the past nine years, did the number of children placed under the indigenous child placement principle reach its highest point? Ms S.M. McHALE
When, over the past nine years, did the number of children placed under the indigenous child placement principle reach its highest point? Ms S.M. McHALE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question. Before I answer the question, I acknowledge the members of the Emama Nguda Aboriginal Corporation and the young leaders program from Derby, and I also acknowledge the strength and leadership they are showing in addressing social and economic issues in Derby. During the week we have heard a number of extraordinary and unfounded claims from the opposition, one of them being that the government is not prepared to remove Aboriginal children at risk from disruptive families, and that this is due to the Aboriginal placement principles being enshrined in the new legislation. There are a number of facts about this issue that I need to give to the house. Firstly, the government enshrined those principles in legislation. In fact, those principles have been operating for over 20 years. They operated right through the time that the Liberal Party was in government. Secondly, in the second reading speech I gave on 4 December 2003, I made it absolutely clear that the principles do not override the principle that the best interests of the child should always be the paramount consideration. On 2 March 2004 I said again that the Aboriginal placement principle does not have precedence over the best interests of the child. Thirdly, the rate of Aboriginal children coming into care has increased significantly over recent years. In 2001 there were 456 indigenous children in care. At 30 June 2006 there were 851. That is a significant increase. Fourthly, the number of indigenous children placed under the indigenous placement principle has not dramatically increased over the past nine years. At 30 June 2005, 83 per cent of Aboriginal children in care were placed under the placement principle. The highest rate of Aboriginal children placed in care under the indigenous placement principle was 85 per cent, in 1998.
Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for his question. Before I answer the question, I acknowledge the members of the Emama Nguda Aboriginal Corporation and the young leaders program from Derby, and I also acknowledge the strength and leadership they are showing in addressing social and economic issues in Derby. During the week we have heard a number of extraordinary and unfounded claims from the opposition, one of them being that the government is not prepared to remove Aboriginal children at risk from disruptive families, and that this is due to the Aboriginal placement principles being enshrined in the new legislation. There are a number of facts about this issue that I need to give to the house. Firstly, the government enshrined those principles in legislation. In fact, those principles have been operating for over 20 years. They operated right through the time that the Liberal Party was in government. Secondly, in the second reading speech I gave on 4 December 2003, I made it absolutely clear that the principles do not override the principle that the best interests of the child should always be the paramount consideration. On 2 March 2004 I said again that the Aboriginal placement principle does not have precedence over the best interests of the child. Thirdly, the rate of Aboriginal children coming into care has increased significantly over recent years. In 2001 there were 456 indigenous children in care. At 30 June 2006 there were 851. That is a significant increase. Fourthly, the number of indigenous children placed under the indigenous placement principle has not dramatically increased over the past nine years. At 30 June 2005, 83 per cent of Aboriginal children in care were placed under the placement principle. The highest rate of Aboriginal children placed in care under the indigenous placement principle was 85 per cent, in 1998.
I thank the member for his question. Before I answer the question, I acknowledge the members of the Emama Nguda Aboriginal Corporation and the young leaders program from Derby, and I also acknowledge the strength and leadership they are showing in addressing social and economic issues in Derby. During the week we have heard a number of extraordinary and unfounded claims from the opposition, one of them being that the government is not prepared to remove Aboriginal children at risk from disruptive families, and that this is due to the Aboriginal placement principles being enshrined in the new legislation. There are a number of facts about this issue that I need to give to the house. Firstly, the government enshrined those principles in legislation. In fact, those principles have been operating for over 20 years. They operated right through the time that the Liberal Party was in government. Secondly, in the second reading speech I gave on 4 December 2003, I made it absolutely clear that the principles do not override the principle that the best interests of the child should always be the paramount consideration. On 2 March 2004 I said again that the Aboriginal placement principle does not have precedence over the best interests of the child. Thirdly, the rate of Aboriginal children coming into care has increased significantly over recent years. In 2001 there were 456 indigenous children in care. At 30 June 2006 there were 851. That is a significant increase. Fourthly, the number of indigenous children placed under the indigenous placement principle has not dramatically increased over the past nine years. At 30 June 2005, 83 per cent of Aboriginal children in care were placed under the placement principle. The highest rate of Aboriginal children placed in care under the indigenous placement principle was 85 per cent, in 1998.
During the week we have heard a number of extraordinary and unfounded claims from the opposition, one of them being that the government is not prepared to remove Aboriginal children at risk from disruptive families, and that this is due to the Aboriginal placement principles being enshrined in the new legislation. There are a number of facts about this issue that I need to give to the house. Firstly, the government enshrined those principles in legislation. In fact, those principles have been operating for over 20 years. They operated right through the time that the Liberal Party was in government. Secondly, in the second reading speech I gave on 4 December 2003, I made it absolutely clear that the principles do not override the principle that the best interests of the child should always be the paramount consideration. On 2 March 2004 I said again that the Aboriginal placement principle does not have precedence over the best interests of the child. Thirdly, the rate of Aboriginal children coming into care has increased significantly over recent years. In 2001 there were 456 indigenous children in care. At 30 June 2006 there were 851. That is a significant increase. Fourthly, the number of indigenous children placed under the indigenous placement principle has not dramatically increased over the past nine years. At 30 June 2005, 83 per cent of Aboriginal children in care were placed under the placement principle. The highest rate of Aboriginal children placed in care under the indigenous placement principle was 85 per cent, in 1998.
Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for his question. Before I answer the question, I acknowledge the members of the Emama Nguda Aboriginal Corporation and the young leaders program from Derby, and I also acknowledge the strength and leadership they are showing in addressing social and economic issues in Derby. During the week we have heard a number of extraordinary and unfounded claims from the opposition, one of them being that the government is not prepared to remove Aboriginal children at risk from disruptive families, and that this is due to the Aboriginal placement principles being enshrined in the new legislation. There are a number of facts about this issue that I need to give to the house. Firstly, the government enshrined those principles in legislation. In fact, those principles have been operating for over 20 years. They operated right through the time that the Liberal Party was in government. Secondly, in the second reading speech I gave on 4 December 2003, I made it absolutely clear that the principles do not override the principle that the best interests of the child should always be the paramount consideration. On 2 March 2004 I said again that the Aboriginal placement principle does not have precedence over the best interests of the child. Thirdly, the rate of Aboriginal children coming into care has increased significantly over recent years. In 2001 there were 456 indigenous children in care. At 30 June 2006 there were 851. That is a significant increase. Fourthly, the number of indigenous children placed under the indigenous placement principle has not dramatically increased over the past nine years. At 30 June 2005, 83 per cent of Aboriginal children in care were placed under the placement principle. The highest rate of Aboriginal children placed in care under the indigenous placement principle was 85 per cent, in 1998.
I thank the member for his question. Before I answer the question, I acknowledge the members of the Emama Nguda Aboriginal Corporation and the young leaders program from Derby, and I also acknowledge the strength and leadership they are showing in addressing social and economic issues in Derby. During the week we have heard a number of extraordinary and unfounded claims from the opposition, one of them being that the government is not prepared to remove Aboriginal children at risk from disruptive families, and that this is due to the Aboriginal placement principles being enshrined in the new legislation. There are a number of facts about this issue that I need to give to the house. Firstly, the government enshrined those principles in legislation. In fact, those principles have been operating for over 20 years. They operated right through the time that the Liberal Party was in government. Secondly, in the second reading speech I gave on 4 December 2003, I made it absolutely clear that the principles do not override the principle that the best interests of the child should always be the paramount consideration. On 2 March 2004 I said again that the Aboriginal placement principle does not have precedence over the best interests of the child. Thirdly, the rate of Aboriginal children coming into care has increased significantly over recent years. In 2001 there were 456 indigenous children in care. At 30 June 2006 there were 851. That is a significant increase. Fourthly, the number of indigenous children placed under the indigenous placement principle has not dramatically increased over the past nine years. At 30 June 2005, 83 per cent of Aboriginal children in care were placed under the placement principle. The highest rate of Aboriginal children placed in care under the indigenous placement principle was 85 per cent, in 1998.
During the week we have heard a number of extraordinary and unfounded claims from the opposition, one of them being that the government is not prepared to remove Aboriginal children at risk from disruptive families, and that this is due to the Aboriginal placement principles being enshrined in the new legislation. There are a number of facts about this issue that I need to give to the house. Firstly, the government enshrined those principles in legislation. In fact, those principles have been operating for over 20 years. They operated right through the time that the Liberal Party was in government. Secondly, in the second reading speech I gave on 4 December 2003, I made it absolutely clear that the principles do not override the principle that the best interests of the child should always be the paramount consideration. On 2 March 2004 I said again that the Aboriginal placement principle does not have precedence over the best interests of the child. Thirdly, the rate of Aboriginal children coming into care has increased significantly over recent years. In 2001 there were 456 indigenous children in care. At 30 June 2006 there were 851. That is a significant increase. Fourthly, the number of indigenous children placed under the indigenous placement principle has not dramatically increased over the past nine years. At 30 June 2005, 83 per cent of Aboriginal children in care were placed under the placement principle. The highest rate of Aboriginal children placed in care under the indigenous placement principle was 85 per cent, in 1998.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.