‘Disgraceful display’: Five-hour speech delays child protection reforms
A senior state government minister has slammed a Labor MP over a “disgraceful display” that delayed a vote on foster care reforms.
The state government is pushing to change the law and set a maximum time limit of two years for a child to be given a permanent home.
In New South Wales, there are close to 18,000 children and young people in out-of-home care.
Only 140 have been adopted this year.
But debate on the reforms has been delayed thanks to a state Labor MP who Ben Fordham says “put on a very ordinary display”.
Shadow minister for Family and Community Services Tania Mihailuk is concerned the reforms could create another Stolen Generation.
Last night she spoke for over five hours and has been accused of delaying a vote on the issue.
Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward is furious, labelling it a “disgraceful display”.
“It was five-and-a-half hours of filibuster, there was no argument,” she tells Ben.
“Nobody can point to one clause in the Bill that they say means there’s going to be another stolen generation.”
The Minister says claiming the reforms would see another stolen generation is an “insult”.
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Ms Goward tells Ben she believes this is “all a pre-election stunt”.
“There were many more radical reforms we passed in 2013 without a murmur.
“This is a very mischievous opposition playing politics with the lives of very vulnerableĀ children.”