Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I think the point I was making, which Senator Boyce made quite strongly, I think, is that what the Senate committee inquiry found is that in fact there was increased reporting of crime and increased reporting of child abuse. By putting more police officers and child support workers in, you have increased reporting and your statistics about those things will increase. I never claimed crime had gone down. The briefing I have had is that infant mortality rates have improved and that the health checks and other measures are delivering good results. But Senator Boyce made the point that, by providing more policing, more enforcement and more protection, many of the stats on offending or abuse actually rise as we get better reporting.