Children’s Protection (Reporting Of Suspected Criminal Offence) – Amendment Bill
09/03/2011
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (19:56): I wish to briefly place on the record my support for the Hon. Ms Bressington’s bill. The Hon. Ms Bressington must be commended for introducing what is a simple yet pertinent bill. It is the role of Families SA to look after our children, and this is evident by its mantra, which is, funnily enough, ‘keeping them safe’.
As Families SA’s role is to keep children safe, then it is perfectly reasonable for us to expect its employees to report matters to the police if there is a reasonable suspicion that a criminal offence is being or has been committed in relation to a child. It seems to me that there are too many children out there who slip through the cracks, so to speak, and that we as parliamentarians must do all we can to ensure their safety.
All too often we hear stories on the news and, indeed, in this place where the authority should have said something to the police about suspected criminal behaviour but did not. Sometimes this lack of action results in dire consequences. Frankly, this is not good enough, although I am sure I do not need to tell anyone in this place that. Our children deserve our protection and I will therefore be supporting this bill.
