Children and Youth Minister Sarah Courtney must show Tasmanians she has a modicum of decency and compassion by today divulging what she intends to do about more than 120 children who are in potential danger but receiving no help.
The astonishing number of children in “active transition” has climbed yet again on Ms Courtney’s watch but since she released the new figures late on Friday, the Minister has been missing in action and providing no answers about what she intends to do to ensure some of Tasmania’s most vulnerable children are not left at risk.
Shadow Child Safety Minister Sarah Lovell said the number of Tasmanian children reported as being at risk but not immediately allocated a case worker has increased by 15 per cent in just one month under Ms Courtney.
“The government’s own data released on Friday shows the number of children in so-called “active transition” rose from 105 to 121 between August and September,” Ms Lovell said.
“That is almost double the number of children over a year, from 54 – which is unacceptable in itself – last October.
“Active transition is the term when a child has been referred to an investigation without being allocated a case worker within priority timeframes.
“The question is what is Ms Courtney intending to do about it?
“Is she going to do anything at all or – yet again – merely dump data out in the public and then scurry away hoping nobody is watching.
“Well, Tasmanians are watching. They are horrified by a government and a Minister that would have such frightening data in front of it but fail to do anything to change it or find a solution.
“Ms Courtney knows these are children who are potentially in danger. Ms Courtney knows that if they have been reported as being potentially in danger, they require help.
“Why isn’t she providing it? Why is she prepared to act so heartlessly and fail to offer any solution?”
Sarah Lovell MLC
Shadow Minister for Child Safety
