Qld – reshuffling Ministries as well as Ministers
The announcement by Qld Premier Anna Bligh of her new Ministerial team, along with a new set, slightly reduced in number, of Parliamentary Secretaries, will no doubt draw lots of commentary on the winners and losers. Whilst some of the personnel choices are interesting – especially outgoing Attorney-General Kerry Shine stepping down from the Ministry and brand new MP Cameron Dick going straight into that senior position – just as interesting and potentially significant are the decisions made to restructure many of the Ministries and Departments.
The area of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (ATSIP) has been shifted out from amongst the multitude of areas that previously came under the Communities umbrella, now being twinned with Local Government, which itself has been separated from Main Roads, which now stands alone in its own department.
The super-department of Communities, Disability Services, ATSIP, Multicultural Affairs, Seniors and Youth has had half of its components moved elsewhere, while having housing added – which I think is a good mix. Karen Struthers should also be a good fit for the portfolio. Housing was shifted from its previous place linked in Public Works and ICT.
Disability Services and Multicultural Affairs now sit in their own department. The potential perceptions that might come from migrants being twinned with disability services is possibly less than ideal, but they previously sat together along with many others in the old Communities Department, so it is a reasonable fit in that sense. It should also hopefully provide a chance for both these important areas to get more concentrated attention from their Minster – especially as there is also a Parliamentary Secretary to cover these portfolios in the form of Julie Attwood.
The old Department of Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations has been totally split up, with each one going in a different direction. Transport becomes a stand alone Ministry, Trade goes to Natural Resources, Employment combines with Treasury and Industrial Relations is added to Attorney-General
Adding Emergency Services in with Police and Corrective Services should also work OK, but I do have to say that Sport seems an odd fit with Child Safety. Regardless of who the Minister responsible for child safety is at any time, I prefer the idea that 100% of their focus is on that area alone.
UPDATE: (27 March) It looks like I spoke (or wrote) too soon in assuming the portfolios of the new Ministers would each match with a new department. The Premier has announced a new structure for government departments, reducing them down to 13 ’super departments’ grouped under six clusters – Policy & Fiscal Coordination, Employment & Economic Development, Environment & Sustainable Resource Management, Social Development, Law Justice & Safety and Government Services. It sounds like a very ambitious move. It is aimed at reducing bureaucracy and improving coordination. This is certainly needed – it will be interesting to see how well this aim are achieved.
32 Comments, Comment or Ping
Bettina
Andrew,
I would have to agree with you on your comments re: the need for Child Safety to sit as a stand alone department…the complexity and compelling nature of the ‘day to day’ business of this work is not something that is easily combated. As a previous Child Safety Worker I can only say the sheer volume and intricacies of the work involved do not lend themselves to a splitting of focus nor attention by any Minister.
Sport??? I cannot fathom the connection – unless that particular issue is going to pale into insignificance against it’s more demanding companion of Child Protection.
Cheers
B
Mar 25th, 2009
mike maskell
The new minister for child safety should make his first priority an investigation into the deeply entrenched corruption within his own department.
He has been handed a poisoned chalice, which I am sure the outgoing minister, Mrs Keech would agree with if she were able.
Many, many people will be watching him closely to see if he is prepared to bite the bullet and address the thousands of blogs and complaints against this outageous and disgraceful cohort of liars, cheats and ambitious public servants. The ball is in your court Sir.
Mar 25th, 2009
Andrew Bartlett
UPDATE: (27 March) It looks like I spoke (or wrote) too soon in assuming the portfolios of the new Ministers would each match with a new department.
The Premier has announced a new structure for government departments, reducing them down to 13 ’super departments’ grouped under six clusters – Policy & Fiscal Coordination, Employment & Economic Development, Environment & Sustainable Resource Management, Social Development, Law Justice & Safety and Government Services.
It sounds like a very ambitious move. It is aimed at reducing bureaucracy and improving coordination. This is certainly needed – it will be interesting to see how well this aim are achieved.
Mar 27th, 2009
lorikeet
I think we already know that they cannot get ANYTHING right, except taxing citizens to the eyeballs in every possible way and then disposing of the proceeds.
Other posters seem interested in Child Safety and Sport being lumped together.
As soon as I read it, I thought of the number of paedophiles who work in occupations and recreational pursuits involving children. Perhaps that is where the connection lies.
It’s amazing the number of people who are elected to parliament who know next to nothing about politics. It is therefore frightening that any newcomer would receive a Ministry position.
Mar 27th, 2009
The Feral Abacus
“As soon as I read it, I thought of the number of paedophiles who work in occupations… involving children.”
Pray tell, Lorikeet, exactly which number did you think of? And exactly what evidence can you provide in support of that particular number?
Mar 27th, 2009
lorikeet
Feral:
The exact number of course could not be given by me or anyone, but I know there are plenty. I think your question seems a bit silly.
The local primary school has had 3 paedophiles I know of – 2 male teachers, 1 male parent – over a period of 20 years. There may have been others.
As a former leader in scouting, who has also been acquainted with a lot of other leaders from different groups, I can tell you that most scout groups get a paedophile in their midst from time to time.
Last year on TV, a spokesman for The Scout Association tried to tell us they do not attract paedophiles any more. What hogwash! How would they know if the person has never been convicted?
I’m sure you must have seen on TV many times, sports’ coaches who had been interfering with children.
I’m sure there are also still plenty of children who don’t come forward, and also some people who are falsely accused.
Mar 28th, 2009
philip travers
Lorikeet until she shows up again may have been referring to the large potential victim numbers that head into the possible over hundred from one pedophile stalker.That would be any number of child sports teams.So don’t dismiss her unnamed number completely.When moving the beans left or right.
Mar 28th, 2009
The Feral Abacus
Lorikeet, Phil
The point I was trying to make was that – due to its context, and due to the way it was phrased – Lorikeet’s post could easily be read as indicating that she thought that very large numbers of people working with children are paedophiles.
I think this is tremendously counterproductive. Sure, some paedophiles gravitate towards positions to increase their access to vulnerable children. Without question, sexual assaults on children by adults is a serious crime. Without doubt, vigilance is needed.
However, we should be very careful to avoid indiscriminately casting the stain of suspicion on anyone and everyone who works with children. We should strive to avoid those gratuitous broad-brush allegations that are sometimes cast abroad for their holier-than-thou emotional frisson. Otherwise we will end up with a witch-hunt in which many innocent people will be hurt – and I think we are very very close to that now – and during which paedophiles will simply quietly go about their business much as they have always done.
Mar 29th, 2009
lorikeet
Feral:
I was trying to say that there are plenty of paedophiles around – hundreds, possibly thousands, in Australia alone.
We already have a witch-hunt in which many innocent people (mostly men) are hurt.
Then we have the children who are hurt by CONVICTED paedophiles who reoffend, not just those floating loose that we don’t know about.
Mar 30th, 2009
The Feral Abacus
“Other posters seem interested in Child Safety and Sport being lumped together.
As soon as I read it, I thought of the number of paedophiles who work in occupations and recreational pursuits involving children. Perhaps that is where the connection lies.”
Lorikeet, your post of March 27th drew a clear link between paedophiles and a departmental merger.
Why??
Mar 30th, 2009
Daniel
The only good thing about Blighs government is the number of women. Thats it.
Mar 31st, 2009
lorikeet
Feral:
I think I have already explained that particular link adequately.
Now I’m thinking about those parents who push little kids into enormous amounts of training in a particular sport. These are the kids with bulging muscles and no time to socialise. One wonders if some are being given anabolic steroids.
As we know, too much exercise can cause the hormonal system to shut down.
Then there are the parents who behave badly at soccer matches, tennis competitions etc.
Then I suppose we have to consider whether or not children are being adequately protected with essential equipment for the sport they are playing – also whether parents have been so disempowered at sporting events that the kids are getting away with “murder” – maybe even hurting one another, in addition to cheating.
All of these things would connect Child Safety with Sport.
Mar 31st, 2009
The Feral Abacus
Another day, another tangent.
Mar 31st, 2009
ken
Feral – Shifting the goalposts is perhaps a more apt expression
Apr 1st, 2009
The Feral Abacus
Indeed, Ken. I was actually looking for a nice turn of phrase for Lorikeet involving red herrings, wild geese and ferrets.
BTW any experiences with bizarre departmental couplings that you’d care to recount?
Apr 1st, 2009
Naomi Cartledge
LORIKEET – “I was trying to say that there are plenty of paedophiles around – hundreds, possibly thousands, in Australia alone.” Yes, and sadly, the majority of people who are abusing kids live with them or are friends of the family. I understand, that the Scout movement as in other areas has some very stringent rules – eg. mustn’t be alone with children, regardless of the reason/s. Also, most people who apply for a position with children or vulnerable adults have a police check. I have -twice. Once with Barnados, and more recently with an Advocacy group that’s involved with Advocates and Protoges of people with an Intellectual Disability or people with an acquired brain injury – of all ages! I’m an Advocate! I think this is an excellent idea, but if these lovely people were being abused by a family member, it may never be revealed. Only diligence and reinforcing children’s/adult’s rights is a good start!
One of the sad repercussions of child sexual abuse, is that lovely young men are not becomming primary school teachers, are too scared to even comfort a sick or sad child, and those in the system are leaving. I think this is regrettable! Pedophiles have been found in the DPP of different states/Judges/Teachers/Doctors/Dentists/Police Officers/Office workers and employers/recently a Politician in NSW etc and the numbers of kids being abused at home is staggering! Breaking the Silence is the only answer, in this and any other form of physical/sexual abuse. I only read at the weekend, that Judges are ruling,that abusive fathers have access to their kids – this is a direct result of Howard/Ruddock’s 50-50 parenting – Abusive parents don’t have the right to ‘parent’ in my view unless or until they undergo counselling! Children’s right to safety must be paramount!
Then there’s the sportspeople who make the news through their appalling physical or sexual behaviour! Hardly a good example to impressionable kids! Look how these actions have been handled by NRL or AFL?
Apr 1st, 2009
lorikeet
Naomi:
Yes, but a police check will still not pick up those who have never been formally accused or convicted, so it isn’t very useful.
Yes, I think you and I are well aware of the foolishness practised by the Child Support Agency, Family Court and Family Relationship Centres.
In answer to the cheeky males above, I have thought of another reason Child Safety might be connected with Sport. Apart from the terrible example provided by sporting heroes that you mentioned, there’s the issue of alcohol advertising at sporting events.
In the Senate recently, Family First’s Steve Fielding asked for this advertising to cease.
Feral:
You jumped to that conclusion, not me.
If you want to do some bean counting, let us suppose that 1 in 1000 people are paedophiles. I suspect there could be more, but since I cannot peek into every person’s bedroom (or closet full of skeletons), that’s the best I can do.
With a population approaching 22,000,000, that would mean that Australia could possibly have 22,000 paedophiles.
I’ve counselled some of the victims – even had a couple of approaches from paedophiles myself at ages 13 and 15.
Apr 1st, 2009
The Feral Abacus
Lorikeet, you may need to remind me of the conclusion to which you think I have jumped! I’m getting old and addled…
I think it would be fair to say that some of your comments are open to a broad range of interpretations, and given that you have shown a predilection for drawing sinister imputations from apparently-innocuous government actions, you may have preconditioned your regular readership to drawing conclusions that you had not intended. Less ambiguity might be in order, keeping Skepticlaywer’s advice in mind.
1 in a 1000? Maybe – who can say? Though as Naomi correctly points out, most child abuse occurs within the ambit of the family and friends and relatives.
I suspect many of us were approached for sex by adults during early adolescence – I recall being sounded out a couple of times by older males. But, undesirable as all that may be, I have considerable discomfort about labelling adolescent-adult interactions as paedophilia – I think its qualitatively very different from situations where adults entice or coerce young children into offering them sexual gratification. Perhaps there’s a case for reintroducing the old charge of carnal knowledge to maintain the distinction.
Apr 1st, 2009
The Grey Ghost
To put a personal spin on this topic: I am a male primary school teacher from Victoria. I feel very acutely at times people’s perceptions. I totally undersatnd the need for vigilance, criminal checks etc and have no problem with that at all. I know the sorts of perceptions that exist and it really saddens me greatly that innocent interactions with kids in the classroom could be taken way out of context. Consequently I am very careful.
Apr 4th, 2009
lorikeet
The Grey Ghost:
Yes, I understand where you’re coming from. These days the likelihood is that the wrong people will be charged with offences, while those actually committing them are overlooked or protected.
Feral:
To my way of thinking, paedophilia and carnal knowledge of a minor (under-adult-age person – therefore child still in need of protection) are one and the same thing.
All of my father’s friend’s 3 sons were abused by a paedophile. Perhaps he might have sounded out the eldest son first.
I think our society needs broad thinking people. Anyone can count beans.
For example, I have just written to National Seniors, Queensland Nurses’ Federation and the Minister for Ageing regarding Aged Care Centres and the multiple interactions which cause difficulties in that area – not least of which is the fact that our pensioners are among the lowest paid in the OECD.
My initial thought was that Child Safety officers might be interested in removing paedophiles from among sports’ coaches – sounds like a good idea to me. Since then I have thought of other useful connections.
Here’s another idea. Perhaps Child Safety officers may be looking for more effective ways to get disadvantaged and abused children into Sports.
If we go off at every tangent in order to find reasons and connections, we are more likely to find comprehensive solutions to problems.
Yes, we should ferret out everything that we can.
Apr 5th, 2009
The Feral Abacus
Lorikeet – I can’t agree with you there.
I think there’s a profound difference between a case where, say, an 18 year-old has consensual sex with a 16 year-old (which is paedophilia by your criteria, at least in SA & Tas) and one where the aforesaid 18 year-old has sex with a 3 year-old.
Do you really think that these two hypothetical cases should be legally & morally indistinguishable?
Apr 6th, 2009
ken
Lorikeet said “These days the likelihood is that the wrong people will be charged with offences, while those actually committing them are overlooked or protected.”
Lorikeet – what is that liklehood, 1 in 10? 1 in 40? 1 in 1000? Can you enlighten us with the data, beans if you like, to support this contention of montezumean vision and breadth.
Apr 6th, 2009
lorikeet
Ken:
I cannot tell you what the likelihood is of either of those things happening, but in my experience a lot of paedophiles are protected by their relatives, and plenty of other gutless people who have as their motto: “Stay out of it. Don’t get involved.”
I’ve heard of perfectly innocent teachers being accused by ill-behaved children.
I can’t give you the data. How would I be able to evaluate those paedophiles who are being protected?
I think I made a similar point already.
Feral:
Yes, if you’re looking at 2 teenagers with a 2 year age gap, it’s a bit different, but still subject to law (statutory rape). If you take the law away, I think you could end up with open slather.
When I was a teenager, the young men knew they had to keep their hands off girls under 17 – seemed fair to me. No doubt there were a lot fewer pregnant young girls left to parent alone.
But if you’re looking at a 13 year old and her 50 year old uncle, I think it’s definitely a case of paedophilia.
Apr 6th, 2009
ken
And that is exactly the point I and feral have made Lorikeet – you admit to not having the knowledge on subjects you continue spreading rumour, hearsay and generalisations about. These are important socila matters that deserve informed and educated debate, not gossip.
Apr 7th, 2009
lorikeet
Ken:
I have a fairly good knowledge of what happens in the community – from working as a counsellor, as a leader in a youth organisation and also as a volunteer of many years’ experience in schools. I don’t think my opinion can be lightly cast off as “gossip, rumour” etc.
Yes, these are important social matters. We cannot easily have informed or educated debate, if most of what goes on is covered up.
That’s the crux of the matter, and no amount of criticism coming from you (or belittlement of other people’s experience/knowledge) will change that as being a fact.
Since you claim to have previously been a clinical psychologist, surely you should know that the problem of paedophilia is very widespread.
Apr 8th, 2009
ken
How do you know that most of what is going on is covered up? What does very widespread mean?
Your experience is valid as a frame of refernce for you but it is no more than that, simply your experience. All our own experiences are the same, we can extrapolate from our own experinece and assume they then reflect everything else in society. That is not factual.
For instance you assert CSA, Under age consenual sexual experinces and paedophilia are all the same thing. That is fine as your view and reflects your value system, I have no problem with that.
However each is quite differently defined in legal, academic and psychological terms – the crimes are differnet, the perpetraotrs have significantly different inhereht drivers, from social, aeitological and environmental behaviourism, the rationale for the behaviours are different.
This is why I used the terms gossip etc, I’ll accept somewhat unkindly, perhasp mroe accurate would be well intentioned but uninformed generalisations.
That
Apr 9th, 2009
lorikeet
Ken:
Where have you been for the last 50+ years that you don’t know the answers to these questions????
Please read again my post of 6 April to get the facts straight (i.e. answer to Feral).
Apr 9th, 2009
ken
Sigh – oncve again I got sucked into trying to debate something intelligently.
Apr 9th, 2009
The Feral Abacus
Lorikeet – In order to better manage a problem one needs to understand it. To me it seems that you have failed to comprehend the implications of Ken’s comments in his first April 9th post. If you really care about these issues, please give Ken’s post further thought.
Ultimately, the primary purpose of the law should be to protect. If we are concerned with using the law to protect young children from sexual abuse by older adults, then – as Ken states – we are dealing with a very different matter from protecting sexually-active teenagers from unwanted pregnancy.
To pretend that both are instances of paedophilia is not only intellectually indefensible and morally dishonest, it is counter-productive. It confuses the issues, and has the potential to result in resources being diverted away from protecting a very vulnerable section of the population. It also compromises the ability of the legal system to deliver justice: if you have difficulty in seeing this, try imagining a legal system where parking infringements were dealt with under the same statutes as causing death by dangerous driving.
You say that we cannot have an informed or educated debate “if most of what goes on is covered up”. I’d say that we cannot have an informed debate if we ignore the differences between teenagers and pre-pubescent children, if we deny those differences between perpetrators that Ken outlined, and if we cannot acknowledge the emergence of aspects of human sexuality at an earlier age than our society is willing to recognise.
Ken – I’ve probably said this before, but I always figure that our comments go to a much wider audience than their immediate targets. So its worth the bother; you might not get the gratification of a positive acknowledgement but there’s a good chance that whatever you say will make a whole bunch of unseen readers think twice.
Apr 10th, 2009
lorikeet
Ken and Feral:
If only you would look at the big picture, we could have the intelligent discussion you require.
These days children of 10 to 12 years are being both actively and passively encouraged into sexual relationships, both in our schools and via multiple other influences.
Please try to think about where this is leading, and cease with the insulting comments about who may or may not have considered what.
I don’t find comments such as “shifting the goalposts” or “another day, another tangent” to be either mature or helpful.
In effect, the goalposts are being moved to advantage those with paedophilic agendas.
Apr 11th, 2009
ken
But you moved them Lorikeet? Thats panorama plus
Apr 14th, 2009
lorikeet
Ken:
I’m not exactly sure what you’re getting at (could be a number of interpretations), but I make no apology for trying to look at issues from a very broad perspective.
So I will take your comment as a compliment. Thanks.
Apr 17th, 2009
Reply to “Qld – reshuffling Ministries as well as Ministers”