Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I invite the Minister for Home Affairs to make a brief statement on Day for Daniel, and we extend to the Morcombes, particularly on this day, our sincere thanks to them for their incredible strength and their leadership on this issue.

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tomorrow is the 17th annual Day for Daniel, Australia's largest child safety education and awareness day. Many of us in this place will have had the opportunity to meet Bruce and Denise Morcombe over the years, and they would normally have been here today in the chamber. If we had had the opportunity to get them here—because of travel arrangements they have been unable to make it here today—I know they would have been in the gallery today, and they would also have taken the opportunity to speak to as many people here as they possibly could about the need for greater awareness of issues in relation to child safety and child sexual exploitation.

This year's theme for Day for Daniel is 'Wear Red, Educate and Donate'. I want everyone to take the opportunity to use this time, firstly, to remember Daniel Morcombe but also to have conversations with loved ones, with people we know, about their own personal safety and what they can do to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Bruce and Denise Morcombe's son Daniel went missing in 2003. It was later revealed that he'd been abducted and murdered by a notorious paedophile while waiting for a bus. Since 2004, Bruce and Denise have dedicated their lives to Daniel's legacy and have established the Daniel Morcombe Foundation in honour of Daniel and to make Australia a safer place for children. The Daniel Morcombe Foundation is committed to educating children on how to stay safe in both the physical and online environments and to supporting young victims of crime. In 2019, almost $2 million in the seized proceeds of crime was provided by the government to the foundation's Keeping Australia's Kids Safe Program. This program is a national campaign to increase awareness, confidence and the abilities of parents, carers and teachers to identify and respond to child sexual abuse.

Bruce and Denise were also strong advocates for the establishment of the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, or the ACCCE, which was announced by the government in 2018. To this day, the Daniel Morcombe Foundation is still one of the leading non-government organisations working closely with the ACCCE to prevent child sexual exploitation. Statistics from the ACCCE are sobering and show we all have a role to play in stamping out this abhorrent crime. During the 12 months to 30 June this year, the ACCCE received more than 22,000 reports of child sexual exploitation. During that period, 235 offenders were charged with 2,722 child abuse related offences resulting in 232 children being removed from harm both domestically and internationally.

Raising awareness is key, but Australians need to be open to the discussion, even though they may find it uncomfortable. Day for Daniel is a significant national event that allows important conversations to be started. I encourage everyone to participate tomorrow in any way that they can by walking, by wearing a red ribbon or by donating to the foundation, because together we can ensure that our communities are safer places for children.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join with the government and the Minister for Home affairs in encouraging Australians to participate in the Day for Daniel activities tomorrow, the 17th time that they have occurred, and encourage them to donate to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. I pay tribute to Bruce and Denise, who I've met here in the parliament on a number of occasions. They have taken what is a devastating personal tragedy and turned it into a lifelong commitment to help others, and they deserve our absolute praise and thanks.

Child safety is an issue that is well above politics. It's something where the idea that you would go through that experience on a personal level is one that's just extraordinary. I'm looking forward to travelling home and seeing my son; it's important. This is at a time, as well, when Australians are really worried about young Cleo—four years old and missing in Western Australia. We just hope that ends well; I think it's fair to say on behalf of every Australian and on behalf of all the parliament, that we hope that by the time we return we can actually have a discussion here which is a happy one.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before members leave, I want to ask the member for Parramatta to come down to the dispatch box; she has indicated that she wants the call.