Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. It relates to the issue of sexual assaults on children. The minister would be aware of the recently tabled report, Little children are sacred, on the sexual abuse of Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory and of the very first recommendation of that report, which calls on the Territory and national governments to designate child sexual abuse as an issue of urgent national significance. I also remind the minister of the resolution passed by this Senate in March last year, supported by all senators, including government senators, calling for a national strategy on child sexual assault to be developed in conjunction with all stakeholders. In light of this renewed recognition of the urgent need for concerted national action on child abuse, will the government, firstly, reconsider its previous rejection of unanimous Senate committee recommendations on child sexual abuse and assault and, secondly, in accordance with one of those recommendations, move to establish a national commissioner for children to drive a national strategy and reform agenda for child protection?