Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:48): (1302) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Children. Minister, Aboriginal community controlled organisations such as the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency, VACCA, play a crucial role in providing child protection services under section 18 of the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005. We know that, given the grievous history of forced child removals under the stolen generations, there is a residual reluctance amongst many in our Aboriginal communities to place trust in non-Aboriginal entities. We also know that the evidence speaks for itself. In the period 2017 to 2020 the reunification rate for Aboriginal children in Aboriginal care was double that of the reunification rate achieved by the department, which makes it all the more galling that the opposition would seek to baselessly denigrate the work of an organisation such as VACCA by making false allegations about them in both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. It is particularly disheartening to learn that no-one from the Liberal Party, not even the shadow minister Roma Britnell, has sought to engage with VACCA. Indeed it was shocking to hear that no-one from the Liberal Party since the good Dr Bach left had spoken with them. Once again we feel the loss of having an effective shadow minister in this place. The action I am seeking is that the minister provide the house with information regarding the work of VACCA and correct any false assertions about VACCA which may have been made in this place or in the other place.