National Council for Children Post-Separation Media Statement
Monday, February 8, 2010
Children’s Rights and Protection Groups Demand Changes in the Family Law
The National Council for Children Post-Separation (NCCPS) will mobilize thousands of supporters to withdraw support from the Labour Party if they fail to act on recommendations made by three reviews into the Family Law Act. All three reviews said children from violent homes were at risk because of the ‘troublesome’ laws.
The push, called `Protect Our Children Campaign’ will urge such supporters, including mothers, fathers, grandparents, and professionals who deal with the problems, to write to Federal politicians urging them to lobby the Government to implement the three reviews recommendations.
This mobilisation is a response to the Attorney General’s apparent buckling to father’s rights groups’ threats against the Labour Party if the 2006 shared parenting amendments are changed. The NCCPS seems to be the only organisation to separate itself from the gender wars and show concern for the safety and wellbeing of children.
By summarily dismissing the evidence, findings and recommendations of the Family Law Reviews, the Attorney General is condemning many hundreds of children to continuing abuse and even death.
Those children will suffer for the rest of their lives from the physical and emotional damage caused to them and the social consequences and costs will be enormous.
“Clearly McClelland and his party have little or no concern for children and families. Is the Attorney General’s plan to ignore the needs and rights of children and bow only to the clamour of an angry mob with their own selfish parental rights over that of their children? The government’s action will be judged at an appropriate time but attempts at election time for the ALP to say it is concerned about families will be pure hypocrisy”, said child protection expert, Charles Pragnell.
If the Attorney General ignores children’s safety by refusing to act on the recommendations the Protect Our Children campaign will look to support any party which gives a firm commitment to keeping children safe following separation.