Wednesday, 27 November 2024

Aboriginal children in care

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:10): (760) My question is to the Minister for Children. Minister, since 2018 the number of Aboriginal children removed and placed in out-of-home care has increased by 27 per cent. Under the Allan Labor government Victoria has the highest removal rate in Australia of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care, a greater rate than during the stolen generation. Why does the Allan Labor government continue to remove the greatest number of Aboriginal children from their homes in the country?

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:11): I thank Ms Crozier for her question. Could I also start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we are gathered here today, as we do at the start of every day, which is just so important. The over-representation of Aboriginal young people in out-of-home care right across Australia is completely unacceptable. I have said that here before, and I have apologised for that at the Yoorrook Justice Commission. It is why this government is doing more than any previous government to address the over-representation of Aboriginal children in care but also to empower Aboriginal-controlled organisations – like VACCA, like BDAC, like so many others – to have a self-determined, Aboriginal-led approach to children who may need both the early intervention family services within the family services part of my portfolio but also the child protection services.

Ms Crozier, you were in the house last night when I did have the opportunity – despite the number of times that you denied me the opportunity – both to incorporate the letter from Aunty Muriel Bamblett and to table the letter from Aunty Muriel Bamblett. Last year we had the debate in this chamber, which I was very pleased to work with Dr Bach on, because he was absolutely committed. As Aunty Muriel said in that letter that I had the opportunity to read into the Hansard last night in the adjournment debate, Dr Bach and the government and the Greens and other minor parties in this place worked collaboratively together to pass the changes which ensure that we provide Aboriginal people with the opportunity –

Georgie Crozier interjected.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Excuse me, Ms Crozier, would you like an answer to your question, or would you just like to continue interjecting?

Georgie Crozier interjected.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Ms Crozier, I cannot answer your question if you are yelling.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister to continue, in silence.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Thank you, President. As I was going on to explain –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I ask you to bring the minister back to answering the question, which is: why is the Allan government continuing to remove the greatest number of Aboriginal children from their homes in the country? I would ask you to bring the minister back to answering that very specific question.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister was relevant to the question.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Without interruption, I was seeking to explain to the house the changes that we made last year in relation to the legislation which empowered Aboriginal organisations to work directly with families to both investigate matters that might relate to a child protection matter and also then to case manage those children. That is actually, as Aunty Muriel’s letter pointed out – and if you had actually listened to it rather than continually yelling into the microphone ‘I don’t care’ last night –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! It is unruly to point across the chamber.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: It was very upsetting and distressing last night that, when I was reading Aunty Muriel’s letter, Ms Crozier just kept yelling at me, ‘I don’t care,’ yet here we are today with a further question trying to prove otherwise.

Melina Bath: On a point of order, President, I was in the house when the minister was responding at the end of the adjournment. She may be inadvertently misleading the house, because there was silence while she was presenting her information.

The PRESIDENT: That is not a point of order.

Michael Galea: On a further point of order, President, I was also in the house, and I distinctly heard Ms Crozier say multiple times, ‘I don’t care.’

The PRESIDENT: That is not a point of order. There are a couple of recourses around for people if they want to debate that in future parliaments.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: With 8 seconds I would simply point out to the house that for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children we have the highest rate of children living with Indigenous or non-Indigenous relatives or kin of any other place in the country.

Members interjecting.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:15): Yes, here I am, and I am going to ask the minister another question. For those backbenchers, this is an important issue. The commissioner for Aboriginal children and young –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Can we reset the clock with 5 seconds. Ms Crozier, without assistance.

Georgie CROZIER: Minister, the commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people Meena Singh, a Yorta Yorta woman, has said:

Despite Yoorrook’s focus on Aboriginal children and young people in hearings and in recommendations, that focus is virtually absent in the government’s response …

Why do vulnerable Aboriginal children and young people continue to suffer under this arrogant 10-year-old Labor government?

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:16): It is a little unclear, Ms Crozier, from your question whether you are referring to the whole-of-government response to the Yoorrook Justice Commission or whether you are asking a more narrow, specific question about child protection specifically. As I was previously saying, we have invested more in improving the opportunities for there to be self-determined Aboriginal-led decision-making and investigations when it comes to children in out-of-home care who are Aboriginal. This, as Aunty Muriel says in her letter, which I had the opportunity to read into Hansard last night, is getting results. I was really pleased that last year these issues were not being denigrated in this kind of political grandstanding and that we had bipartisan support for that work, as demonstrated by Dr Bach taking the opportunity to visit VACCA and work with VACCA. I would again remind the house that for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, we have the highest rate of Aboriginal children living with kin or other Indigenous caregivers, which is above 80 per cent. You can find that in the AIHW data.