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Media Release
MEDIA RELEASE
– 26 June 2007
Statement by SNAICC Chairperson
Ms Muriel Bamblett raising concerns that Prime Minister Howard and
Opposition Leader Rudd are both on the wrong path on child abuse
prevention.
Howard and Rudd on the
wrong path on child abuse prevention
SNAICC Chairperson, Muriel
Bamblett, AM, said today, “talk of increased policing, sending
in the army, hurricanes, tsunamis and war time cabinets is creating
fear and anxiety amongst Indigenous children and families. The current
national debate on child abuse is spinning out of control and in
danger of wasting a generational opportunity to provide Aboriginal
children with the rights and freedoms all children should enjoy.”
“SNAICC has joined with ACOSS and many other organisations
in calling for a comprehensive long term response developed in partnership
with Indigenous organisations, as this is precisely what SNAICC
has been saying for decades,” Ms Bamblett said.
“SNAICC,” she said, “has seen it all before –
a rush by a decade old government to release a plan after years
of inaction in the lead up to a federal election. The previous Federal
ALP government in 1995 commissioned SNAICC to prepare a National
Plan for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect in Aboriginal
Communities. The Keating Government sat on the plan for months,
only for the Howard Government to shelve it soon after their 1996
election victory. Here we are eleven years later and it’s
all happening again,” Ms Bamblett said.
She added, “We are equally unimpressed by ALP Leader Kevin
Rudd’s suggestion of a ‘wartime cabinet’ if they
are elected. Such a model excludes Indigenous organisations from
decision making, fails to involve states and territories and suggests
one part of the country is at war with another.”
“If things are to change then the government and opposition
should stop talking, start listening and accept SNAICC’s proposal,
put forward at the 2003 Prime Minister’s Indigenous Family
Violence and Child Abuse Summit, for a National Indigenous
children’s well being and development taskforce,”
Ms Bamblett said. “The taskforce should include representation
from all governments, SNAICC and other Indigenous organisations.
It should report directly to COAG and develop a package of measures
to reverse the over representation of Indigenous children in child
protection and their under representation in early childhood and
other essential health and education services.”
Ms Bamblett said, “SNAICC briefed all states and territories
and Minister Brough in May 2006 on the need for additional policing
and other essential services. We will do what we can to support
and influence the emergency taskforce established by Minister Brough
but the Government needs to commit to a longer-term taskforce with
broader representation to look beyond the next six months and focus
on more than law and order.
For media comment:
Ms Muriel Bamblett
– SNAICC Chairperson (03) 9489 8099
For more information:
Julian Pocock, SNAICC Executive Officer: (03) 9489 8099
You
can download the full text pdf version of this media release here
(40 KB)
Related resources and
links
The joint letter
by ACOSS, SNAICC and other community organisations is available
on the ACOSS website here.
SNAICC's responses,
including other media statements to this issue, can be
found listed here.
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