QLD: Beattie calls on ATSIC to show leadership in foster care

AAP General News (Australia)
12-23-2003
QLD: Beattie calls on ATSIC to show leadership in foster care

By Chris Herde

BRISBANE, Dec 23 AAP - Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today challenged Aboriginal
leaders to take a leadership role in solving the high rate of abuse of indigenous children
in foster care.

Last week, Mr Beattie questioned why indigenous children in care should automatically
be placed with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander families.

He suggested they might be better off with white families.

Some members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) have described
the suggestion as "heartless" and reminiscent of the stolen generation.

But Mr Beattie today defended his suggestion and said ATSIC had a responsibility, along
with the government, to fix the problem.

"I started this public debate deliberately because I want some leadership from indigenous
leaders to help me fix it," he said.

Mr Beattie said five per cent of children in Queensland were indigenous, yet they made
up 25 per cent of all children in care and 47.7 per cent of those harmed in care.

He said the statistics were "frightening" and ATSIC had an important role to play in
addressing the problem.

The Premier said a major cause of the problem was alcohol and substance abuse.

"What I need to do is to say to ATSIC: `work with us, there's a problem'," Mr Beattie said.

"We've got to build alliances and partnerships which will fix this.

"It's all very well to be critical on what I've said but I just say to them, by all
means kick me around but let's fix this, let's fix this for the next generation of indigenous
kids."

The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) will deliver its report on Queensland's foster
care system in early January.

CMC chairman Brendan Butler will hand his report on the alleged abuse of children to
the Speaker of State Parliament on Tuesday, January 6.

Meanwhile, an independent report into the Families Department released this week prompted
Mr Beattie to announce a $154 million injection into child protection.

AAP ch/sc/tma/br

KEYWORD: FOSTER

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