Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Responses

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (19:31): I am very pleased to respond to the adjournment tonight. There were a couple of matters which were for my attention, so I will deal with those in the first instance. Firstly, can I thank Mr McGowan for his question in relation to disability access and ensuring that our community is inclusive and accessible for all, which is absolutely a priority of mine as minister and of our government. To that end we have our Inclusive Victoria:State Disability Plan, and pages 33 and 35 of that go to inclusive community infrastructure in particular. I am very pleased to let Mr McGowan know that we will shortly be tabling the midyear review. Absolutely community infrastructure should be accessible to all. The President and I were indeed pleased – in your local community at one point, Mr McGowan – more recently to open a new Changing Places. Initially the program in Australia for Changing Places started in Victoria, and we have more Changing Places than anywhere else in Australia. These are amazing facilities which open our community infrastructure up to those who need it. But absolutely I take your point, and you are a great advocate for ensuring that there are other ways, including what for many might seem like the simplest things but for those who have accessibility issues are actually quite major things – as you correctly identified, Mr McGowan – not just for themselves but for their families. I will be pleased to share with you shortly the midway review for the Inclusive Victoria plan. I absolutely thank you for your advocacy. It is also worth noting that it does come at this particularly important time in the disability conversation, when we are working with the Commonwealth. And to your point about children, we are working with the Commonwealth in relation to what the changes to the NDIS that are proposed might mean and in particular what those might mean for children, particularly children aged zero to 9, and their families. I thank you for raising that in a timely fashion.

I will also deal with Mr Galea’s question. I am pleased to, further to question time this afternoon, speak further to this matter. Wungurilwil Gapgapduir is a tripartite agreement between government, the community sector and Aboriginal Victorians, and I have spoken in this place about it before. It outlines a strategic direction to reduce the number of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care by building their connection to culture, their connection to country and their connection to community. We know that Aboriginal children managed by an Aboriginal organisation remain better connected to culture, to country and to family. This government has invested in Aboriginal community controlled organisations who are delivering early intervention supports and who are working to divert children from care. We are leading the nation with our Aboriginal children in Aboriginal care program. The work of the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency is absolutely critical to this, and it is leading nationally.

I want to acknowledge that Aunty Muriel Bamblett has been a force of incredible change. She is a woman of great wisdom. She is a great advocate. She was recognised this year as the NAIDOC Person of the Year for her work in relation to supporting Aboriginal children and their families and ensuring that Aboriginal children and their families get the best possible outcomes.

To that end, I again move, by leave:

That Aunty Muriel Bamblett’s letter be incorporated into Hansard.

Leave refused.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: In that case, President, I will take this opportunity, as I am responding to the adjournment debate, to read the letter in full – I was denied that opportunity this morning – because Aunty Muriel Bamblett has requested that this be incorporated into Hansard. It says:

Dear Minister,

Unfounded imputations and aspersions made about VACCA in the Legislative Assembly and in the Legislative Council

I write to raise my disgust and disillusion with the statements made about VACCA by Shadow Minister for Child Protection, Ms Roma Britnell, in the Legislative Assembly on 13 November and by the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Ms Georgie Crozier on 14 November 2024.

No effort was made by the Opposition to contact VACCA to verify any information before making a series of assertions casting imputations and aspersions about VACCA that had no basis in fact. I have never even met Ms Britnell since she has been the Opposition Spokesperson for Child Protection. Previous opposition spokesperson Mr Matthew Bach took an interest in the work that VACCA does but not once has Ms Britnell taken the time or care, to understand who we are and what we do. In this context it is difficult to see her enquiries in Parliament as genuine concern about the safety and wellbeing of children but rather as a political stunt.

The Opposition should also be aware that section 534 of the Children, Youth and Families Act restricts publication of any details about individual children involved with the child protection system. This is to protect their interests and for this reason, VACCA will not make comment on the details raised by Ms Britnell, except to say the information she presented to the Legislative Assembly is not accurate.

Georgie Crozier interjected.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Sorry, President. I cannot hear myself speak for the interjections of Ms Crozier.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Ms Crozier!

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Thank you, President.

I will however address the statement made by Ms Crozier in the Legislative Council “seeking an independent review into VACCA’s systemic problems”. This statement is deeply troubling to us. Not only does it demonstrate distain for VACCA but also that the Opposition appears to have no real interest in improving outcomes for vulnerable children. If they did, they wouldn’t make a statement that is so clearly untrue. VACCA has a very proud history as a grass roots organisation of 47 years, serving our community. Evaluations of our programs provide clear evidence that the work we do improves the lives of Aboriginal children and families and that better outcomes are achieved through Aboriginal Children in Aboriginal Care (ACAC).

In the first evaluation period 1 Jan 2017 to 30 June 2020, the reunification rate achieved by ACAC for Aboriginal children on Family Reunification Orders was 22% compared with 11.1% for the Department of Health and Human Services … in the same period. This higher rate of reunification by ACAC was reported by Regional Coordinating Magistrate, Ms Kay Macpherson to the Yoorrook Justice Commission, to be proportionately even higher for children on non-reunification case plans with court orders that allocate sole parental responsibility to the Secretary. Her Honor Macpherson stated:

“Nugel are a part of VACCA that have been, under section 18 of our Act, assigned the duties – the responsibility of the department. So it’s an Aboriginal organisation in charge of Aboriginal children and they are fantastic. The great results we get in Marram-Ngala Ganbu are more often than not cases that are managed by Nugel.”

For Aboriginal children exiting care between 1 January and 30 June 2021, reunification was achieved for 83 per cent of children involved with ACAC compared to 64 per cent for those involved with child protection according to data provided to the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) by the Victorian Government.

Now that VACCA has been authorised with investigation powers, we are also making a difference in preventing Aboriginal children from coming into care, with a very low proportion of the children referred to us for investigation having been placed away from their parents. In the first 12 months of operation, only 12 out of a total of 91 children were placed out of parental care, making VACCA’s removal rate only 13%. This is because we have strong relationships of trust with our families and they are more willing to accept our support to address concerns and ensure their children are safe and well looked after.

Alongside the work we do in exercising the functions and powers of the Secretary, a recent evaluation by Melbourne University on trials conducted at VACCA (and other Aboriginal organisations) to test the hypothesis that having an Aboriginal organisation step in early will divert matters away from child protection investigation and court proceedings, found the trials were clearly successful. VACCA’s Aboriginal-led case conferencing program achieved a diversion rate (that is, no return to Child Protection) of 78 per cent.

As the Minister for Children, we request that this letter be read into Hansard so that the unfounded imputations and aspersions made against VACCA, and our work are not left unanswered in the final sitting week of Parliament for 2024. Elected members must be accountable for their conduct in Parliament and for the impact that their conduct has on the Communities they are elected to represent. Parliamentary privilege must not be allowed to be a tool for generating misinformation with impunity.

Please be advised that it is our intention to also make further enquiries to the President of the Legislative Council about our formal right of reply to ensure we have the opportunity to incorporate an appropriate response in the parliamentary record and VACCA’s reputation is restored and maintained.

Yours Sincerely,

Muriel Bamblett

Chief Executive Officer

I consider that adjournment matter dealt with.

Georgie Crozier interjected.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Ms Crozier, I would appreciate it if you would desist from your interjections.

A number of other members have raised matters for a number of other ministers, and I will refer them accordingly.