Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate calls on the Federal Government to establish a royal commission to inquire into the child support system and the family law system, with the terms of reference to include:

(a) the conduct of lawyers and costs of legal advice;

(b) the adequacy of legal aid and its budget;

(c) the cost of transcripts of court proceedings;

(d) the costs, adequacy and effectiveness of supervised visitation;

(e) the conduct and costs of those providing expert advice including psychologists;

(f) the cost and cause of delays;

(g) the use of courts at night;

(h) the effectiveness and efficiency of the child support system;

(i) suicides related to the child support system and the family law system; and

(j) the experience of children.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Family law and child support are complex and challenging areas. The government is committed to ensuring that Australian families have all the support they need. It has proposed reforms to the family courts that are before the Senate to improve outcomes for families. Establishing a royal commission before the government has concluded the reform of the family court system and the Australian Law Reform Commission inquiry into the family law system would not be the best process, as was observed by the Chief Justice of the Family Court. Additionally, the Joint Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs conducted an inquiry into the child support program in 2015 which did not recommend a royal commission but following which the government implemented a number of important recommendations.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Although Labor oppose this motion, once again we are acutely aware of the failings of the family law system and the impact these deficiencies can have on families and children in particular. This has only worsened over the last five years of neglect of the family law system under three coalition Prime Ministers with no interest in these matters. However, there is currently a major Senate inquiry into the government's proposed Family Court amalgamation that will report in March. A comprehensive review of the family law system is also being undertaken by the Australian Law Reform Commission, and it will report back to the Australian people in April. Labor will carefully consider the outcomes of both of these major inquiries before deciding whether a further inquiry, and the cost and delay that would involve, would assist. In the meantime, Labor will continue to fight for improvements to the family law system, including increased funding for more court registrars, judges, legal assistant services and capital works for court buildings to make them more safe for families using them.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The family law courts and child support are among the biggest issues that come across our desk on a daily basis. The people that we meet on the streets are all concerned about family law court matters and child support. They feel that parliamentarians are not listening to them and their concerns. The family law court also deals with suicides and murders.

You say you're doing something about it, but you're doing absolutely nothing about it. It's the same as how you rejected and did not want a royal commission into the banking sector. You refused to have that because of the cost to the people. We have costs of lives there and how people feel about it. How are you going to feel when the people realise how you're going to vote on this—that you are not interested in dealing with the problems of the family law court that affect nearly every Australian out there? You're turning your back on it. The child support system does not work either. It is unfair and it does not work properly for the Australian people. Think about what you're doing. Listen to the Australian people. They want an investigation into it like the banking royal commission. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that motion No. 1342 be agreed to.