The Northern Territory government's plan to amend child protection laws has come under scrutiny at an inquiry held last week. At the heart of the reforms are new principles that the government says will prioritise the safety of children above all other considerations, regardless of background. The proposed changes have opened a debate about whether they will improve the system or end up creating new problems.
During the inquiry, concerns were raised that the changes could do more harm than good. One of the warnings was that the number of children in out-of-home care would explode, with those opposed saying there is significant evidence to suggest that outcome. The fear is that a stricter approach could pull far more children away from their families and into the care system than the current arrangements.
The NT Minister for Child Protection, Robyn Cahill, defended the plan in a statement, saying the reforms are specifically designed to intervene early and to keep children safely with their families wherever possible. According to the minister, the aim is not to remove more children but to step in sooner, so that families can remain together in cases where it is safe for them to do so.
The push for change has been building for some time, but it came to a head after the alleged murder of a five-year-old child in Alice Springs. The girl, referred to as Kumanjayi, was allegedly abducted from a town camp house in April, a case that shook the community and sharpened calls to act. The reforms, the minister noted, had been in development well before that tragedy occurred.
Aboriginal organisations are among those raising concerns about the proposed overhaul. Dr John Boffa, who heads the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, said child neglect has been a significant issue for a very long time, but urged against a knee-jerk response. He argued the focus should instead be on process and procedural issues within the Territory Families department, including how families are assessed and whether neglect is being correctly identified.
Minister Cahill rejected the suggestion that the reforms were a knee-jerk reaction, pointing out that they had been worked on for more than twelve months. The government's position is that the changes are the result of a long process rather than a hasty response to a single case. Even so, the timing, coming so soon after the Alice Springs case, has kept the debate highly charged.
Others argued that the moment is right to confront difficult issues. Bess Price, a former Northern Territory Country Liberal Party government minister and the mother of Coalition Senator Jacinta Price, said there is a culture of silence that stops Territory communities from speaking openly about child neglect and sexual abuse. Ms Price, who is related to the five-year-old at the centre of the case, said such matters are too often hushed up, and insisted that every child needs to be protected.