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> Events > Media Releases > Newsletters > Briefing Papers > SNAICC's NT Response

 

 

NT Child Abuse – What You Can Do

Help to develop a national response to prevent child abuse and neglect

July 2007

SNAICC encourages people and organisations to actively express their support for the development of a national response to child abuse and neglect including immediate measures to combat abuse and violence.

SNAICC has long advocated that the child protection system in the Northern Territory has failed to respond adequately and protect children from all forms of child abuse - including sexual abuse. In doing so we have not sought to blame individuals or governments but propose evidence-based culturally-safe solutions.

 

What you can do

SNAICC is asking people and organisations express their views directly to the relevant Federal, State and Territory Ministers, as well as speak to local federal members of parliament, outlining your concerns in relation to child abuse and neglect. You should also write to the Federal ALP requesting that they commit to a full and proper response to child abuse and neglect.


You may wish to express support for the position taken by SNAICC and for the recently released detailed response from the Coalition of Aboriginal Organisations of the NT, which many organizations from across Australia, including SNAICC, helped develop. (add link here)

We suggest you:

Write, fax or email the relevant state, territory and federal government ministers and federal opposition, and make direct representation to your local members of federal parliament, calling for them to sign up to a National Response.


Use SNAICC’s form letter

SNAICC has has developed a sample letter that you can use for writing to the Federal Minister, and to State and Territory Governments or to your local member of parliament. You are welcome to use it as is, or add more to it.

Sample letter to Minister Brough

Write to:

The Hon Mal Brough, MP

Federal Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 7560
Fax: (02) 6273 4122
Email: mal.brough.mp@aph.gov.au

Ms Jenny Macklin, MP

Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Parliament House RG111
Canberra ACT 2600
Fax: (02) 6277 2307
Email: JMacklin.MP@aph.gov.au

Federal Members of Parliament

A list of contacts is on Australian Parliament House website

Or download a PDF with their contact details here (236 KB)

State and Territory Premiers/Chief Ministers and Indigenous Affairs and Communit Services Ministers

Contact details (these have been compiled and published on our website)

Some points to think of

If you wish to write your own letter(s), here are some points you may wish to include when writing to or speaking with Ministers or members of parliament:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children should be able to live a life free from violence and abuse


• The Federal Government is to be commended for taking action but a better outcome will be achieved if it seeks input into the emergency measures


• The Little Children Are Sacred report on child abuse in the NT included 97 recommendations for action - the Federal and NT Governments should respond to the whole report - not just some of the report


• Child abuse and neglect affects all communities - not only Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory


• The Prime Minister has called child abuse a ‘ national emergency’ - where is the national response for all states and territories


• A national problem like child abuse and neglect requires a long term national response


• Short term measures for the Northern Territory will create no lasting impact without input from local Aboriginal communities


• The Federal Government should be doing things with Aboriginal communities to protect children - not to Aboriginal communities


• Poverty, child neglect and malnutrition also cause great harm to children but these problems can’t be fixed without long term investment in communities


• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities have a right to expect that basic essential services such as police, child protection, preschools, schools, health services, public phones and communication systems, transport and housing are available


• It is not acceptable that life expectancy for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child is 17 years less than for all other children in Australia


• The Federal Government should show leadership, work with all states, territories and other stakeholders and develop a national action plan to prevent child abuse and neglect


• Issues about land use and permits in the Northern Territory should be put to one side and dealt with separately - not as part of an emergency child protection response


• A detailed response developed by the Coalition of Aboriginal Organisations of the NT should be supported by all governments


• SNAICC has been calling for a national action plan since as early as 1995.

We would appreciate it if you would send SNAICC a copy of your email(s) or letter(s) to Ministers and Members of Parliament.

Keep up to date

You can find out about SNAICC's responses to the federal government's intervention on child abuse in NT through our website.

 

First published 11 July 2007

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