April 11, 2018 Government votes down child safety motion The McGowan Government today proved their moral outrage over the activities of paedophiles was confined to their time in Opposition and had become non-existent in Government, according to Shadow Minister for Child Protection Nick Goiran. Speaking after the defeat of a motion in the Legislative Assemble to appoint a single minister responsible for overseeing the safety of the 184 victims of child sexual abuse recently identified in Roebourne, Mr Goiran said the Government’s vote on the motion was a win for Labor’s dominant left faction at the expense of the safety of children. “I and my colleagues have consistently asked questions of both the Minister for Child Protection and the Minister for Police to gain some confidence that none of those 184 children are still living with their convicted or accused attacker, and to the never-ending disgrace of this Government they have refused to give that assurance,” Mr Goiran said. “This Government knows who the 36 offenders and knows who the 184 victims are, we simply seek an assurance that the perpetrators are not knowingly being allowed access to their victims. “That doesn’t mean any other efforts to effect long-term societal change need to stop, it doesn’t necessitate children being removed from their homes, it doesn’t involve the Minister identifying victims or perpetrators; it does, however, give a level of protection to child victims who are clearly unable to protect themselves.” Shadow Police Minister Peter Katsambanis, who led debate for the Liberal Party in the lower house on the motion, said there were members, including Attorney General John Quigley who had spoken with moral outrage about alleged paedophiles in Opposition, but were strangely silent about the 36 individuals charged in Roebourne. In 2016, Mr Quigley said, in the media regarding the granting of bail to charged child sex offender Ryan Trevor Clegg: ‘It’s beyond comprehension how this person who has admitted to raping a young girl is out on bail.’ “I want to know what happened to Mr Quigley and other Labor ministers’ concern and outrage between 2016 and 2018,” Mr Katsambanis said. “Mr Quigley in 2016 went to the trouble of stepping out the distance between the charged offender’s residence and the child care centre, now, he won’t even stand in Parliament in defence of the 184 abused children of Roebourne. “Is it that in 2016, the offender was living in North Fremantle but in 2018, the 184 victims are living in Roebourne?” Media Contact |
