Ms CARNEY - 2006-10-17
The policy officer employed to assist your inquiry into the sexual abuse of children in Aboriginal communities said, in an article published in the National Indigenous Times in June, that the current debate into sexual violence against children …
… and that the actions of the offender in the Yarralin case who bashed a girl with a boomerang before raping her were:
… and that he was not someone from whom the community needs to be protected. Given this policy officer’s remarkable views on the causes of and solutions to sexual violence, do you agree that it is inappropriate for him to continue to serve the board of inquiry?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, this is a difficult issue for me personally and for government. We have set up a very important inquiry into child sex abuse and, very properly, I appointed the co-chairs, Rex Wild and Pat Anderson, both people with great reputations in this area. I believe they will do a fine job. Importantly, that inquiry is an independent inquiry. It is an independent inquiry so that it can, without fear or favour, inform government and Territorians about how we can take those important next steps in protecting Aboriginal children.
That inquiry acts independently. Stewart O’Connell is appointed by the inquiry. The views that he has expressed are ones that no one on this side of the House would support at all. If someone in an article, as Stewart O’Connell has, has made a suggestion of maybe an amnesty for paedophiles, I would not agree, and this government will never agree. I do not think anyone in this House would agree. We would never accept any recommendations, and Rex Wild said in the media this morning he would not accept any recommendations, or put them through to government, that would have such a suggestion in them.
I am not responsible for who the inquiry employs. You can say this is difficult. It is difficult, but the fact is, if you have an independent inquiry, you cannot then tell the independent inquiry who they are going to employ.
While I would not support those views as articulated by Stewart O’Connell - and no one on this side of the House would - co-chair, Rex Wild, has said the views that are unacceptable will not be put forward in any …
Ms Carney: No, he just said immunity from prosecution.
Ms MARTIN: He has said they will not be put forward in any recommendations to government, and this government will not accept them anyway.
Mrs Braham: So how can this man give independent advice?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Mr Acting Speaker, I make the point that if you set up an independent inquiry, arm’s length from government, government can then not instruct the inquiry regarding who they employ.
- … ignores the fact that Indigenous men are suffering more than any other group in this country.
… and that the actions of the offender in the Yarralin case who bashed a girl with a boomerang before raping her were:
- … the actions of a man struggling with change.
… and that he was not someone from whom the community needs to be protected. Given this policy officer’s remarkable views on the causes of and solutions to sexual violence, do you agree that it is inappropriate for him to continue to serve the board of inquiry?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, this is a difficult issue for me personally and for government. We have set up a very important inquiry into child sex abuse and, very properly, I appointed the co-chairs, Rex Wild and Pat Anderson, both people with great reputations in this area. I believe they will do a fine job. Importantly, that inquiry is an independent inquiry. It is an independent inquiry so that it can, without fear or favour, inform government and Territorians about how we can take those important next steps in protecting Aboriginal children.
That inquiry acts independently. Stewart O’Connell is appointed by the inquiry. The views that he has expressed are ones that no one on this side of the House would support at all. If someone in an article, as Stewart O’Connell has, has made a suggestion of maybe an amnesty for paedophiles, I would not agree, and this government will never agree. I do not think anyone in this House would agree. We would never accept any recommendations, and Rex Wild said in the media this morning he would not accept any recommendations, or put them through to government, that would have such a suggestion in them.
I am not responsible for who the inquiry employs. You can say this is difficult. It is difficult, but the fact is, if you have an independent inquiry, you cannot then tell the independent inquiry who they are going to employ.
While I would not support those views as articulated by Stewart O’Connell - and no one on this side of the House would - co-chair, Rex Wild, has said the views that are unacceptable will not be put forward in any …
Ms Carney: No, he just said immunity from prosecution.
Ms MARTIN: He has said they will not be put forward in any recommendations to government, and this government will not accept them anyway.
Mrs Braham: So how can this man give independent advice?
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: Order!
Ms MARTIN: Mr Acting Speaker, I make the point that if you set up an independent inquiry, arm’s length from government, government can then not instruct the inquiry regarding who they employ.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016