Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW
PO Box K1026
Haymarket NSW 1240
Re: Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in New South Wales
Dear Sir,
Today I listened to our current prime minister, Kevin Rudd, and federal opposition leader, Brendan Nelson, apologise and say "sorry" for the pain and suffering experienced by all those affected by the actions that resulted in the "stolen generation". Both Mr Rudd and Mr Nelson challenged all non-indigenous Australians to consider how we might feel "if this had happened to us" and to "place ourselves in the shoes of others". Our Prime Minister quoted a woman who wanted us all to hear her message, via Mr Rudd in his address, that "all mothers are important" and "it is a good thing that you are surrounded by love". And I wondered had we really learnt anything from the "stolen generation" experiences.
What will the children of this generation say about their need for protection and how those who are the law-makers, budget-makers, decision-makers and influencers of today responded to "the responsibilities and the opportunities" of child protection currently facing us? What will the adults of tomorrow wish we had done for the children of today – what would they wish had been the outcome of the "Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection in New South Wales"?
I am contacting you to ask for assistance to bring my experiential knowledge, reading, research, reflections and suggestions to the Special Commission of Inquiry based on my hope and belief in your comments (quoted below) that you shared in your opening address to the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in New South Wales, at the public hearing held on Monday, 17th December, 2007.
"Its validity, and that of any alternative approach to child protection is open for consideration, and we would not want submissions to be constrained to tinkering at the edges of the current system, or to overlook the means by which families in trouble could be supported and assisted so as to avoid becoming subject to the need for care and protection, and in particular falling into the cycle of inter-generational abuse and neglect that can so easily become intractable."
"What we are about is examining management practices and possible strategies that could achieve a co-ordinated, compassionate and effective system that brings together the combined skills of the several agencies and individuals that potentially play a part in the Child Protection System."
"That would be to ignore the environment in which it must work, and of the responsibilities and the opportunities of the other agencies and individuals who are involved."
What I hope you will understand is that there is no pleasure or gratification in asking to share what I have learnt through my children’s and my traumatic experience of domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse from many - individuals, organisations, academics, service providers, politicians, so called "justice systems", lawyers, police … and coming from my children’s and my experience of being some of the many Australian children and mother trapped overseas by domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse. What I hope for is change, and to protect and prevent others from similar experiences.
My … attempted suicide, my … is now the same age and at the same stage of life as … was when … attempted suicide and I still can’t find any one who will assist in providing safety, security and support my children and myself or any children and mothers in similar traumatic circumstances.
Here are some of my questions, concerns and hopes regarding the inquiry:
- I am concerned that all details of my communication, information and submission that could in any way be identifying remain confidential, and at the same time hope that the systemic issues I raise will become public knowledge because I believe they should be of public concern.
- Confidentiality is important for safety and security, is there any assistance that would make it safe for me to relate the reality of women who try to protect their children from domestic violence and systemic abuse by providing safety and security for my children, the other Australian woman and her children who are mentioned in my online resource/blog (see www.womenwhowant2gohome.blogspot.com post "Dear Mr Prime Minister …") my possessions and documents - all in Canada - while I am trying to sustain myself and find someone here who will work with me on these family and domestic violence and human rights issues.
- Are there resources available to assist people such as myself who are not employed by someone who will cover their expenses (i.e. government, university, organisations) who have used their family’s personal traumatic lived reality of needing protection to try to make a difference and be an advocate (please refer to accompanying c.d. which contains my c.v., enclosed references and online resource I created) to attend the forums to be held in Sydney? The forums I am particularly interested in are "Role of Courts", "Role of oversight agencies", "Interagency co-operation", "Health and disability", "Assessment model and process", "Early intervention". Or is there some other accommodation being made to facilitate the involvement of, and information sharing with, people in rural and regional NSW in those forums?
- Are there resources available to assist people such as myself, "experts by experience", to prepare a submission? The resources/assistance that would make a difference for me include safety, security, support, encouragement, mentorship and coaching, assistance with materials and copying expenses, assistance to attend forums of interest and relevance to experience and research that are only being held in Sydney, assistance to obtain a wireless internet connection. For others there may be other accommodation requirements including child or family care and transportation. Because of the reality of my experience trying to gain safety and protection for my children and what I have learnt about "unruly practise" (Nancy Fraser) – the gap between what is said and what is done – then I am confident there is much to be gained from listening to and communicating with "experts by experience" such as myself and other desperate mothers which you will not hear from the organisations most directly involved. (A bit like the Royal Commission into the NSW Police Service, where you knew the important information would not be revealed by those being directly investigated in the usual inquiry process.)
- …. is the nearest regional forum to … where I have been staying with my parents who have emotionally and financially supported me for just over a year while I try and find someone in Australia who will actually do something to assist and protect Australian children and women trapped overseas by domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse. I understand from my telephone conversation with Julie W at the Special Commission of Inquiry office there will not be any "in camera" forums in regional or rural New South Wales, is there a provision for people from rural and regional NSW to give "in camera" testimony or information to the Special Commission of Inquiry?
- If anyone else submits material to the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection in NSW, which in any way refers to, relates to, mentions or contains any of the accompanying information or material, or material and information I hope to share with you in the future, then they have done so without my knowledge or permission and without any care or concern for our safety and security, never having made any offers of assistance or support, and not having offered to assist me to bring my own material to the Special Commission of Inquiry. I hope that you will immediately inform me of this deliberate, unethical breach of confidentiality, disregard for our safety, and misuse of my intellectual property. I have already experienced this unethical behaviour from researchers and academics in regards to my writing and research both here and in Canada. The most recent incident involving the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse. I would like to have an opportunity to share the details of these experiences with you to give you an understanding of the realities of the family and domestic violence industry where there are many who chose to personally profit from others pain, without making any contribution to the safety and security of others less fortunate, privileged or safe. (See post "Further out of view … further out of mind…" on my online resource/blog.) There are many who see research and advocacy as mutually exclusive occupations – they are happy to acquire personal currency and status from their work as a researcher/academic/expert -retelling others "stories"- as long as there is no expectation that they actually do anything that might make a difference (many parallels to other forms of power and control, such as the abusive homes mothers are trying to protect their children from, and colonisation such as our indigenous people experienced).
- I hope for the opportunity and safety to share what I wish I didn’t know about the political reality in regards to children and mothers right to safety and security including in relation to recent changes to the Family Law Act. Was the chairperson chosen because of, or despite, the knowledge that she had not assisted and kept secret the experience of someone who grew up in her electorate who needed assistance to protect her children and herself from domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse in a foreign jurisdiction that the federal government chose to provide financial assistance to, but held the government accountable to "judicial fairness" for David Hicks? Why does no one comment on the fact that while the government is choosing to finance foreign jurisdictions that condone violence against children and women it is cutting funding to organisations here that oppose violence against children and women?
- What are the implications for child protection when researchers/academics state, "female politicians will not speak up about these issues (violence against children and women) for fear of male backlash" in private conversations but not in public?
- I would like to share my concerns in regards to problematically misnamed "government funding" (versus "public funding") and the consequences for research topics, outcomes, and accountability to the public – the real funders.
What I am hoping for is the opportunity and support to share my information (my experiential knowledge, extensive reading, research and reflections) in regards to the above and other systemic issues and realities on our and others behalf in regards to children’s, mother’s and family safety and protection, hoping that our experience and my suggestions may contribute to an understanding of "the environment in which it must work, and of the responsibilities and the opportunities of the other agencies and individuals who are involved" in child protection, in the context of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection in New South Wales.
I also hope that this might lead to contact with someone here in Australia with the integrity and ability to assist Australian children and women trapped overseas by domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse and those who have suffered similar experiences here, assistance applying for a Churchill Fellowship to pursue related research, leadership training or mentoring opportunities and the opportunity to contribute to the Australia 2020 Summit, in the hope that my children, myself and others who have experienced abuse, violence and trauma may soon experience protection, safety, security, support – may experience hope.
Sincerely,
…
"We don’t need new technologies to solve our problems; while new
technologies can make some contributions, for the most part we "just"
need the political will to apply solutions already available. Of course
that’s a big "just." But many societies did find the necessary political
will in the past. Our modern societies have already found the will to
solve some of our problems, and to achieve partial solutions to others."
Jared Diamond, "Collapse: How societies choose to fail or survive."
Penguin Books ã 2005, P 522
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Mailed Thursday, 14th February 2008, (guaranteed next day delivery). As yet, no response.
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Take care … take heart … Merinda
