Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

The incorporated speech read as follows:

Family First’s top priority is the welfare of children. The first question we must ask is: what is in the best interests of children? It is a sad and unfortunate fact of life that many relationships end. It is crucial that we find the best way of dealing with these situations to minimise the damage, particularly to children, but also to parents.

These amendments are about the Senate recognising that the best place for children, even after a relationship breakdown, is with their mum and dad. When a relationship ends, the way to maintain equal access for children is shared parenting.

If a parent has not done anything wrong, why should the child be penalised by effectively losing one of their parents?

For this to work, both parents have to want to exercise their responsibility and be with their child. It is not our purpose to force parents to exercise shared parenting. But Family First would hope that all parents would want to. Just because a relationship ends, does not mean the job of being a parent ends.

Family First’s principle amendment in this group is amendment 6, which is a rebuttable presumption that maximising the parenting time and involvement of each parent is in the child’s best interests.

Equal parenting time must be the starting point when considering arrangements after parents have separated. But this can be rebutted by demonstrating that equal time is not in the best interests of the child. For example, due to a parent’s work or travel commitments or because one parent could pose a threat to the physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing of the child, that presumption could be overturned.

These amendments are fair and reasonable. I ask Senators for their support for these amendments.