❓ Hon. Stephen Dawson questions the Premier regarding child welfare concerns in remote Aboriginal communities, following the Premier's comments on community viability. The government declines to identify specific communities, citing historical reports of dysfunction.
AnsweredQoN 337Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
REMOTE
ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES — CLOSURE
337. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
Leader of the House representing the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's comments on 5 March 2015
regarding the viability of 282 remote communities in which he states that he
could not sit by and see kids not being educated, having poor health and being
abused and there being high rates of domestic violence in some of these
communities.
(1) In which
of the 282 remote Aboriginal communities that the Premier referenced were or
are children being neglected?
(2) When did
the Premier become aware of the problems of children being abused in the
communities listed in response to (1)?
(3) On what
date was action taken and were extra resources allocated by the state
government to assist child protection workers, health practitioners and schools
to immediately work to protect children at risk?
(4) If children
in any of these 282 communities are currently not being educated, are in poor
health, are being abused or are subject to domestic violence, why is the
government allowing this to happen?
(5) On what dates
did any formal investigations commence, who is conducting the investigations
and what date will the committee present its report?
ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES — CLOSURE
337. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
Leader of the House representing the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's comments on 5 March 2015
regarding the viability of 282 remote communities in which he states that he
could not sit by and see kids not being educated, having poor health and being
abused and there being high rates of domestic violence in some of these
communities.
(1) In which
of the 282 remote Aboriginal communities that the Premier referenced were or
are children being neglected?
(2) When did
the Premier become aware of the problems of children being abused in the
communities listed in response to (1)?
(3) On what
date was action taken and were extra resources allocated by the state
government to assist child protection workers, health practitioners and schools
to immediately work to protect children at risk?
(4) If children
in any of these 282 communities are currently not being educated, are in poor
health, are being abused or are subject to domestic violence, why is the
government allowing this to happen?
(5) On what dates
did any formal investigations commence, who is conducting the investigations
and what date will the committee present its report?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(5) The
government will not identify individual communities. The reports of
dysfunction, including child abuse and medical indicators of children exposed
to abuse, is drawn from a series of reports over time, beginning well before
the current government was elected in 2008. The 2002 Gordon inquiry, the 2007 Ford
review and ''Western Australia's Family and Domestic Violence
Prevention Strategy to 2022: Achievement Report to 2013'' provide
insight into some of these issues.
Not all remote communities expose children
to neglect and abuse, but it should be noted that 40 per cent of all the
Department for Child Protection and Family Support's child protection
full-time equivalents are based in regional and remote Western Australia. To
deny that the government should take steps to reform living conditions in
remote communities is to argue that the status quo is acceptable, when it
clearly is not.
some notice of the question.
(1)–(5) The
government will not identify individual communities. The reports of
dysfunction, including child abuse and medical indicators of children exposed
to abuse, is drawn from a series of reports over time, beginning well before
the current government was elected in 2008. The 2002 Gordon inquiry, the 2007 Ford
review and ''Western Australia's Family and Domestic Violence
Prevention Strategy to 2022: Achievement Report to 2013'' provide
insight into some of these issues.
Not all remote communities expose children
to neglect and abuse, but it should be noted that 40 per cent of all the
Department for Child Protection and Family Support's child protection
full-time equivalents are based in regional and remote Western Australia. To
deny that the government should take steps to reform living conditions in
remote communities is to argue that the status quo is acceptable, when it
clearly is not.
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