❓ A parliamentary question regarding the death of Wade Scale, focusing on the Department for Community Development's decision to discontinue drug testing of his parents and the subsequent decision to allow Wade and his siblings to remain in their care. The Minister acknowledges failings highlighted in the coroner's report but avoids direct answers.
AnsweredQoN 520Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WADE SCALE
In today’s The West Australian a spokeswoman for the Minister for Community Development is reported as confirming that Wade Scale was removed from his parents in mid-February 2003 because of concerns about parental drug use and then returned approximately two weeks later as his parents had cooperated with a drug-testing regime. (1) Can the minister confirm that on 10 June 2003, just weeks before Wade’s death, the Department for Community Development decided to discontinue the drug testing because it believed that urine samples had been diluted and were unreliable? (2) Why did the department then allow Wade and his siblings to continue to live with their parents when it believed that its drug-testing regime had been compromised? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN
In today’s The West Australian a spokeswoman for the Minister for Community Development is reported as confirming that Wade Scale was removed from his parents in mid-February 2003 because of concerns about parental drug use and then returned approximately two weeks later as his parents had cooperated with a drug-testing regime. (1) Can the minister confirm that on 10 June 2003, just weeks before Wade’s death, the Department for Community Development decided to discontinue the drug testing because it believed that urine samples had been diluted and were unreliable? (2) Why did the department then allow Wade and his siblings to continue to live with their parents when it believed that its drug-testing regime had been compromised? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question. (1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
(1) Can the minister confirm that on 10 June 2003, just weeks before Wade’s death, the Department for Community Development decided to discontinue the drug testing because it believed that urine samples had been diluted and were unreliable? (2) Why did the department then allow Wade and his siblings to continue to live with their parents when it believed that its drug-testing regime had been compromised? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: I thank the member for his question. (1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
(2) Why did the department then allow Wade and his siblings to continue to live with their parents when it believed that its drug-testing regime had been compromised? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: I thank the member for his question. (1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: I thank the member for his question. (1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
I thank the member for his question. (1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
(1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
(1) Can the minister confirm that on 10 June 2003, just weeks before Wade’s death, the Department for Community Development decided to discontinue the drug testing because it believed that urine samples had been diluted and were unreliable? (2) Why did the department then allow Wade and his siblings to continue to live with their parents when it believed that its drug-testing regime had been compromised? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: I thank the member for his question. (1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
(2) Why did the department then allow Wade and his siblings to continue to live with their parents when it believed that its drug-testing regime had been compromised? Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: I thank the member for his question. (1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: I thank the member for his question. (1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
I thank the member for his question. (1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
(1)-(2) As we have seen pan out over the past few weeks, the coroner’s report into the death of Wade Scale has caused a great deal of debate and discussion. As the Premier has said, we need to be very mindful that a number of people are hurting and are continuing to hurt as a result of the tragic death of Wade. As the coroner highlighted very clearly in the report, there were a number of practices and actions that, in hindsight and in looking at the case in great detail, should not have occurred. Indeed, the department and the government have acknowledged that the coroner’s report clearly shows that there were concerns about the advice given and some of the actions taken. That includes the particular details that the member has mentioned. As I have said before in this place, this case is a great tragedy. We must recognise that in the department and in non-government organisations that work with vulnerable families and vulnerable children, people have made decisions that, as the coroner has stated, in hindsight and in terms of practice should not have been made.
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