Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 8:45:38 to 8:49:02
Senator Thorpe advocates for a Senate inquiry into the national child protection crisis, discussing the role of Commissioner Hunter's rapid review.
Topics: Child safety, Human rights
Speakers: Senator Lidia Thorpe, Ellie Whiteaker, Corri McKenzie, Unknown Speaker
Okay, thank you, Senator Allman Payne. Senator Thorpe. Are you still on the line?
Yes, I am, Chair.
Would you like another block?
Sorry, I'm having problems. Um can you come back to me?
Uh we are, I don't believe any other senators have questions in this outcome, so it's now or never.
Okay, I'm back.
Great.
Um, so I've recently been calling for a Senate inquiry into the child protection crisis that is happening around the country, and we know that. It's for all children in this country are at risk, whether they're in out-of-home care or residential care. We have pedophiles having access. Uh we have terrible things going on. Kids dying. So both Minister Plivisek and McCarth uh Minister McCarthy have told me that any inquiry should be led by Commissioner Hunter rather than have the Senate also look into this. Now I'm talking um. I'm talking about an inquiry that looks at the experience of all children and families. Every system across this country is failing children who've been removed or put in residential care. It is failing at every jurisdiction and it's only getting worse. So with that. It is with it is within Commissioner Hunter's uh remit to look at the experiences that non-Indigenous families. Sorry, is it does the new commissioner have the power to also look at non-Aboriginal children when it comes to child protection? So if if the new commissioner does her inquiry on child protection in this country, is that just for Aboriginal kids or is that for all kids? Does she have the power to do all kids?
Uh Senator, I might need to take that on notice. My uh what uh all of our outcome two officials uh aren't quite here yet. Um so that's uh legislative question about the scope of the Commissioner's legislation. So I don't have that answer to hand.
then we we should wait until uh outcome two.
Um sorry, Senator, we um our Chief Council does have the answer with her, so she is able to look
I'll allow it this time, but ordinarily we are you know it should be asked in the correct section.
I thought this was is this cross portfolio section?
Yes, but I I think you're taking a particularly broad uh a particularly broad uh definition of cross portfolio. Go ahead.
Thank you.