On April 23, 2009 The Daily Telegraph reported that a “staggering 152 children who died in 2007 had all been known by DOCS, police or health services to be a risk”, and that more than half of the 152 children were less than one-year-old, and some babies were born drug addicted.
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In the same timeframe, the most important issue in the NSW Parliament was to get the Same-Sex Adoption Bill legalised.
During the first week of September, the Same-Sex Adoption Bill passes through both houses of the NSW parliament. Then, on September 9, like a yo-yo, it bounced back into the lower house for amendment, and returned like a boomerang to the upper house.
I was critical of the leader of the Liberal Party, Barry O’Farrell – it’s a shame he didn’t have as much courage as Mr Stoner and Mr Clarke to put children first.
To former premier Kristine Keneally, interesting tears of sorrow on September 8 for the smoking ceremony. I am yet to see any tears for the children mentioned in Justice James Wood’s inquiry (The Daily Telegraph, March 3, 2009) especially when community services minister Lynda Burney said “DOCS and its helpline had been overwhelmed” (March6, 2009).
I was saddened and shocked that minister Burney would support the Same-Sex Adoption Bill, and ask if there will be exemptions for at-risk Aboriginal children.
Then premier Bob Carr (DT, December 1, 2001) said “the history of the Stolen Generation was stopping authorities from rescuing Aboriginal children from abusive parents”.
While the band playing the song of the republic, reconciliation and Sydney Mardi Gras played on and on, drug- and alcohol-addicted parents were allowed, and even encouraged, to keep their children, even though they had cigarette burns on their tiny bodies, which was a favourite pastime of adults whose rights exceeded the needs of the children they brought into this world.
Sadly, these children received more attention in death that they did in life.
I question, in five years’ time, will we have to say sorry to another generation of black and white stolen children?
Surely it would be better to put the whole family in detention centres for rehabilitation.
Judith Law
Gunnedah
