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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for outlining some of the focus the government has given this important issue since coming to office. I appreciate that it is a work in progress, I appreciate that government cannot fix everything, and I appreciate there is no magic bullet. I would like to ask the minister whether or not the government and the minister are giving serious consideration to putting in place a national commissioner for children, or some similar office, as an independent, permanent officer who will focus continually on the interests of children—as was recommended unanimously by more than one Senate committee inquiry, such as the forgotten Australians inquiry in years gone by.