NT Child Abuse – What You Can Do
Sample letter
Write to express your
concerns to federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough
July
2007
Use this sample letter
to write to Minister Brough to express your support for the development
of a national response to child abuse and neglect, including immediate
measures to combat abuse and violence.
You can also use the points
raised in this letter, and also the 'Points
to think about', to write to State and Territory Premiers/Chief
Ministers and relevant Ministers, and Federal Parliamentarians to
ask them to support the National Plan.
Sample Letter to Minister
Brough
The Hon Mal Brough,
MP
Federal Minister for Families,
Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Minister,
I write in relation to your recently announced measures to secure
the safety of Aboriginal children in remote communities within
the Northern Territory.
Your emergency measures seem well intended but I am concerned
that they are short term and will not create a lasting and effective
child protection system in the Northern Territory.
I believe it is essential that the Australian Government work
with the Northern Territory Government, Aboriginal communities
and relevant experts to build an effective child protection system.
The Australian government also needs to make long term commitment
to improving the quality of life and opportunities available to
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across the country.
It seems that over the past ten years there have been many reports
and inquiries into child abuse and neglect with not enough action
from governments in response. Implementing short term emergency
measures for one territory is an inadequate response to a national
problem that the Prime Minister called a national emergency.
We all want children and families in the Northern Territory, (and
elsewhere), to live a life free from abuse and violence. But children
should be able to hope for more in life than just being safe and
not being a victim of violence. Australia’s Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander children should be able to expect the same
standard of living that other Australian’s enjoy. Good health
services, education, housing and employment opportunities should
be the provided in all communities.
I ask that the Australian Government make a serious commitment
to Indigenous children and develop a long term national action
plan to combat child abuse and neglect. I would be interested
in your response to this proposal and await your reply.
Yours truly,
You can also
download
this sample letter as a Word document.
We would appreciate it
if you would send SNAICC a copy
of your email(s) or letter(s) to the Minister, and other 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.
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to 'What You Can Do'
First published
11 July 2007
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