Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to bring the attention of the House to a community organisation I had the pleasure of meeting at the weekend—the Bikers Against Child Abuse, or BACA. This international organisation of bikers stands united to protect and empower children who have been impacted by sexual or physical abuse. Their mission statement says:

Through the Bikers Against Child Abuse group vulnerable and abused children have a family for life. They learn empowerment and self-respect through the 'tough' yet reliable bikie culture which builds and strengthens their confidence. Bikers Against Child Abuse are the personal friends of the child, and can be most valuable in helping vulnerable children in confronting and intimidating circumstances such as providing police statements and attending court proceedings in circumstances where they may have to confront their abuser or even recount the difficult details of their abuse. Empowering children to stand up and helping them to find their confidence in often confronting and intimidating circumstances is indeed a noble act, and that is what makes the Bikers Against Child Abuse movement so effective and powerful.

In 2013 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that rates of substantiated child abuse and neglect had risen from 31,500 to 37,800. Sadly, Indigenous children are at a higher risk—they are almost eight times more likely to be exposed to substantiated abuse or neglect. As Western Sydney is home to the largest Indigenous population in Australia, this is of specific concern to the people I represent in the electorate of Lindsay. On Saturday I had the great pleasure of riding with the Bikers Against Child Abuse Penrith charter. Because of what I saw firsthand I can absolutely vouch for how wonderful this organisation is. I would like to thank the local charter and New South Wales bikers and I also thank 'Sparkles' for taking me on the back of her trike, not to mention the rest of the road crew—'Lefty', 'Moose', 'Goose' and 'Sparky'—and 'Lucky', 'Preacher' and 'Tower', who supported the team on the day. The reason they all have code names is that they work in the space of child abuse—it is to protect both the bikers and the children. I thank the House and I really thank Bikers Against Child Abuse.