Legislative Council, Thursday 23 May 2024

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, in speaking to this motion, there are no amendments proposed to it. Again, it was a little bit like deja vu in some respects with the last debate. Members will remember, shortly before prorogation, this committee established a commission of inquiry recommendations committee to review the recommendations, the progress of implementation of recommendations, and matters related to that.

The committee was established but did not get to do any work before parliament was prorogued. However, we had set out a pretty extensive schedule for dates - now well gone - in February and March, from memory, as to when the committee would hear from the relevant ministers and government departments as to how progress is being made.

In some respects it is fortuitous that we have the ministerial statement this morning to provide an update, which is very welcome and informative. No doubt other members may pick up on some of the points that were raised in that ministerial statement in relation to this motion to establish this committee.

The safety and welfare of our children is such an important matter that both Houses have a very deep interest in, as does every Tasmanian, as well as in the government's response to the commission of inquiry report, and their progress on the recommendations. It is entirely appropriate that a joint sessional committee be established across both Houses to hold the government and the various departments to account for the work they are doing and will continue to do.

It is a sessional committee because this work will not be done in one session of parliament, particularly if we are off to the polls early again. Now, the government might say we will be here for four years, but it will take longer than four years, in my view. It will require ongoing scrutiny, beyond whatever term this parliament lasts for, to ensure that we take - and continue to take - very clear and effective action on protecting children and young people.

I do not wish to go to all those matters any further than that. I think we all know how terrible it has been and the commission of inquiry report, which is extensive and harrowing to read, tells the story. We do not need to revisit that here.

Previous members of the committee in this House - the member for Rumney, the member for Nelson and the former member for Hobart - had some discussions about how best to approach this. I then reached out to the government and members of the ministerial staff in DPAC to discuss the need for this and what we perhaps needed to include to make it comprehensive and enduring.

The majority of these terms of reference were in the commission inquiry committee that we established in this House. However, you will note there are other ones there, particularly point (d) and point (e) that relate to particular recommendations in the commission of inquiry report. Point (d), particularly, is the enduring nature of the motion:

… monitoring progress reports provided to Parliament, as provided for by Recommendation 22.1 by the Independent Child Safety Reform Implementation Monitor (when appointed). 

Point (e) refers the matters that particularly the government brought forward for the consideration of the member for Rumney, the member for Nelson, and myself:

.. overseeing the performance and proper execution of functions of the Commissioner for Children and Young People, as provided for by Recommendation 18.9. 

The other thing that has been included is: point (f):

…any other relevant matters that either House may refer to the Sessional Committee.

This gives the opportunity for any member of Parliament who is not on the committee to refer a matter to the committee for its consideration, related to these matters.

I know other members who are interested in it will speak to this motion. It is again a four person committee. We have three existing members who I anticipate would renominate for that committee. Another member will be required should this motion be agreed to. I am quite confident the government will support this committee - unless I have been completely misreading the tea leaves.

We all recognise the importance of this work. It does pick up on some of the recommendations in the commission of inquiry report itself, acknowledging there may be a time when those should potentially become statutory committees. But at this stage, at least we can get started on the work and hold the government of the day to account for them.

The last bit of scrutiny from November last year to now is far too long, and it still will not be now. The reason I am trying to progress this as quickly and as promptly as I can is because this needs to go downstairs to be agreed and come back, and we need to appoint our members. Even still, there is a delay before it can get underway. It goes a bit to the previous motion too; the longer we hold moving these things, the longer it is - and we all know what the sitting schedule looks like later in the year. In terms of having hearings and other matters like that with any of these committees, it is going to get very compressed and very hard to get a lot of work done in committees as well as our sittings in parliament.

Mr President, I urge members to support this motion. It is a very important body of work. This format means it will continue, it will endure, until, hopefully, it is no longer necessary, however long that will be.