On the 12th September, I received this email from Premier Beattie MP.
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Please quote: 35764/CG01/Social Policy
Thank you for your email of 1 August 2003 calling for a Royal Commission
of Inquiry into the Department of Families.
As you would be aware, on 28 July 2003, I referred documents relating to
specific foster care cases to the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC)
for investigation. The CMC is a standing Royal Commission with wide
powers of inquiry and investigation and my Government intends to
cooperate fully and grant it access to all relevant material. My
referral of this material highlights the Government's commitment to
place the welfare of children above all else in this process.
Furthermore, I want to ensure complete transparency in the Government's
handling of these matters.
Aside from investigating specific cases referred by the Government, the
CMC is also conducting a public inquiry into the abuse of children in
foster care. This inquiry will make recommendations on policies,
legislation and, importantly, practices, to the Parliament when its work
is complete. The CMC acknowledges that it will be necessary to take
into account aspects of the broader child protection system in
Queensland and that many of the inquiry's recommendations may have
application beyond the foster care system.
I trust this information is of assistance to you.
Yours sincerely
PETER BEATTIE MP
PREMIER AND MINISTER FOR TRADE
N:\policy_com\socp_com\Child Protection\Letters\35764 - Premier to
Bowden re Royal Commission.doc
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From this it would appear that something is being done?
Until you simply think that it took The Premier over six weeks to respond to me.(I hadn't asked for a response!)
A Premier who has a huge staff of thousands.
Yet this Premier expects people to write submissions to this inquiry by the 29th September 2003.
If you visit the website of the CMC you can view the Terms of Reference for the inquiry.CMA
My concerns are that indigenous people or families who may have the most valuable information, will not be able to write submissions.
1 Due to the short time frame,
2 The fact they may not have even seen the terms of reference
3 May not be able to put together a submission
4 Have no one to help them with this if they are unable to write it themselves
5 If part of an organisation, may not have had meetings to consider this inquiry
6 Feel it is all a waste of time anyway
That is why I had called for a full inquiry, as the terms of reference only gets the people calling the inquiry the results they want - not the results the public want.
An opened ended inquiry over a long period of time will get to the bottom of the mess called the Department of Family Service.
The people who hold the answers to this mess, are the people who use the (service?) but they have not been given a fair opportunity to be part of this inquiry, so it will be the same "Never ending story"
If the Premier is serious about this inquiry then give the people who matter a chance to be involved, not just receive lots of submissions from people working within the department.
He must remember it took him over 6 weeks to write an email - how long does he think it might take an indigenous person on a community to write a proper submission?
If as he says in his email to me.
............................................................................................................................
My referral of this material highlights the Government's commitment to
place the welfare of children above all else in this process.
Furthermore, I want to ensure complete transparency in the Government's
handling of these matters.
..................................................................................
Well I am asking him publicly to give the families who are on the other end of his department at the bottom of this mess - time to respond!
