Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Competitiveness) Share this | Hansard source

I understand that, but it is most unfortunate that in the time that is available the member for Brisbane has decided to transmit that allegation into the chamber. There is every discretion on the part of the member for Brisbane to simply not repeat that allegation or that suggestion. You have not done that. I am not suggesting that you are making it, but I would have put a red line through it, if I were you.

In relation to AusAID more generally, of course, this organisation has zero tolerance for child abuse. It is a pervasive problem—there is no doubt about it—and AusAID is tackling it proactively in setting the international benchmarks for accountability and transparency here. Indeed, Australia was the first international donor government and Commonwealth agency to implement a policy to protect children from abuse. The aid program has no higher priority than the protection of children from any form of abuse. The aid program works every day to promote and protect children's rights, in particular, by increasing children's access to education and to health services.

The 2011 Independent Child Protection Policy Review, commissioned by this government, describes AusAID's commitment to child protection and the work done to date to develop, implement, support and resource the policy as impressive. AusAID agrees with the 23 substantive recommendations, with four already implemented and the remainder are underway. AusAID's partners are responding and appropriately managing child protection notifications better than ever before. Since the policy was introduced, all complaints made related to personnel of organisations funded by AusAID, not AusAID staff. The increase in notifications is evidence that the policy is working. It required mandatory reporting. Mandatory child protection standards have created safer organisations and awareness of the policy has increased through training NGOs, contractors and AusAID staff.

There is strong evidence that supports the fact that, when mandatory compliance is introduced and awareness increases, there will be an increase in notifications.

Going directly to the question, AusAID has received a total of 20 child protection notifications in the three years between March 2008 and December 2011. Of the total reports, eight were substantiated or resulted in dismissal, seven were unsubstantiated and five were outside the scope of the policy—that is, they were not related to Australian aid programs—and each of these cases were referred to the relevant authorities. Since the policy commenced, AusAID has not received any child protection notifications against any of its staff. I will seek to get back to the member for Brisbane on other questions where, again, we reasonably can within the resources of the department in relation to the decisions made on overseas development, assistance and the various scholarships. I am quite sure that AusAID and this government do not go around funding terrorist organisations legally or illegally. That is not the sort of thing that we see as a priority. I think that both sides of the parliament have a policy of doing everything they can to combat terrorism.

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