Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first official duty I undertook after I was declared the federal member for Swan last December was at a Christmas event for Grandcare. Grandcare is an organisation that helps grandparents who are put in the position of having to look after their grandchildren. Sometimes the situation arises because the child’s parents have died. On other occasions children have been removed from their parents because of parental problems with alcohol, drugs, violence or divorce. Either way, suddenly having to raise a child can have significant lifestyle and financial implications for the grandparents.

I ask members present today to imagine the impact that suddenly having to take on the responsibility for a child can have on people thrown into this position. Without an income other than a pension and beyond working age, grandparents often struggle to cope. Grandcare assists in many ways. It acts as an advisory group and makes grandparents aware of the benefits available, such as fostering assistance. Many grandparents are unaware of the existence of extra support, believing that it is simply a duty of theirs. Grandcare also helps fundraise. On 14 December I shall be attending the Ascot Rotary Club’s Christmas sausage sizzle at Burswood Park. Christmas food baskets will be given to grandparents, created with the generous support of the Rotary Club and charitable organisations such as Foodbank in Welshpool. Food baskets will also contain Christmas goodies to help lift spirits over the festive season.

Grandcare has an extraordinary group of supporters, like Gwen and Michael Evans from the Ascot Rotary Club, who help to raise money. Social events last year helped raise approximately $1,000. A three-day campaign at the Swan District Football Club helped raise $2,000, and the Rotary Club of Ascot has donated a commendable $2,500. It is reassuring to live in a community where there remains a remarkable spirit of volunteering and donating to charitable causes. Aside from financial support, grandparents often need emotional support. Community events organised by Grandcare help to provide this. Next year, one of the outings planned will take 28 local grandchildren on a trip to Point Walter. This will provide a break for the grandparents while also being a fantastic opportunity for the grandchildren.

Grandcare is a particularly important issue to me as it involves fostering. In my first speech, I said that, although I welcomed the apology to the Indigenous population earlier in the year, I was concerned that the apology disregarded the good that can come from removing children from abusive and neglectful situations. It was disappointing to see on page 1 of the Australian on Monday, 24 November an article entitled ‘Aboriginal foster generation exceeds stolen generations’. The article referred to a figure of approximately 4,000 Aboriginal children in New South Wales state care. I agree with Stephen Hagan of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge at the University of Southern Queensland, who said that those children at risk must be removed from their homes. I hold this opinion from my own experience. In this spirit, I urge governments across Australia to make sure the children are removed from at risk situations and I encourage as many families in Australia as possible to consider becoming foster parents.