Children in Australia need a Commissioner NOW- see what you can do

DETAILS ABOUT HOW YOU CAN MAKE A SUBMISSION TO THIS INQUIRY for Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People Bill 2010

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/legcon_ctte/commissioner_for_childrenandyoungpeople/index.htm

The Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People Bill 2010 seeks to establish an independent statutory office of Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People, to advocate at a national level for the needs, rights and views of people below the age of eighteen.

Submissions should be received by 15 December 2010. Senator Hanson Young has proposed this Bill for a Commissioner to act on behalf of all children in Australia.
One group suffering now under our brutal laws are the Children seeking asylum.

• Right now there are around 800 children and teenagers locked up around Australia and Christmas Island in ITA’s, IRH and APODS- all DIAC acronyms for detention.
• Children are stacked in bunks in overcrowded rooms and tents in conditions not legal under any of Australia’s laws on facilities and accomodation in state institutions.
• In contravention of Australian laws hundreds of children have been denied access to school for 7 months- many are still denied access and spend their days with nothing to do but worry about their future.
  

• Half of these are Unaccompanied minors(UAM’s)- DIAC acronym for children travelling alone with no parent or guardian.
  
• They range is age from 9 years old until 17 years- at 18 they are termed adult and moved to a Detention Centre in most cases.
• Some of these children bear the physical and mental scars of beatings, seeing family members killed and persecution both in their countries of origin and en route to Australia
  
• Among this group are 5 teenage girls, without parents or guardians. Two are in the Construction Camp with hundreds of boys, man, families and the Indonesian Crew of the fishing boats which brought them to Australia.
  
• There are two Life Without Barriers workers to provide care for over two hundred children (UAMS) including the girls in the Construction Camp on Christmas island.
• There are three teenage girls in the Darwin Airport Lodge in a room in the family section alongside families with whom they do not share a culture or language and over 200 boys. One of the girls is terrified and weeping constantly. She arrived by air in Melbourne, was kept in a motel guarded by DIAC for weeks and then taken to Darwin. Her father was taken by the Taliban and her school attacked and unspeakable things done to the Principal of the school. Now she is alone among hundreds of strangers.
  
• The Minister as Guardian has been notified that these girls are at risk. All the key agencies have been notified. Weeks later – nothing has been done. Everyones hands are tied as the Migration Act trumps all rights and rules and basically who cares? There is as yet no policy for the care of Girl UAM’s because they arrive so seldom.
• IF WE HAD A COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN- there would be only one door to knock upon for assistance. If CHILDRENS RIGHTS TO PROTECTION were enshrined in law – these girls would not be placed in this dangerous situation.

Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People Bill 2010

The Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People Bill 2010 seeks to establish an independent statutory office of Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People, to advocate at a national level for the needs, rights and views of people below the age of eighteen.

The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee is to report on this bill by the end of the last sitting day in May 2011.

Submissions should be received by 15 December 2010.

The Committee is seeking written submissions from interested individuals and organisations preferably in electronic form submitted legcon.sen as an attached Adobe PDF or MS Word format document. The email must include full postal address and contact details.

Alternatively, written submissions may be sent to:

Committee Secretary
Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Dear All.
Please see below for information from Kate Gauthier , Chilout, re this important BILL for a Commissioner for Children introduced by Senator Sarah Hanson Young.
Children can be at risk and in need of protection in many circumstances- one group most at risk are asylum seeking children.

Please visit the Parliamentary site and write asubmission be it ever so short or long to support this Bill. These kids need your help.

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fbillhome%2Fs771%22

Dear friends and colleagues,

The Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People Bill 2010 seeks to establish an independent statutory office of Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People, to advocate at a national level for the needs, rights and views of people below the age of eighteen.

On 26 October 2010 the Senate referred the Commonwealth Commissioner for Children and Young People Bill 2010 for inquiry and report. The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee is to report on this bill by the end of the last sitting day in May 2011. Submissions should be received by 15 December 2010.

Please get behind this inquiry and support the bill to establish a children’s commissioner. This will provide vital support to asylum seeker children.

See here for more details: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/legcon_ctte/commissioner_for_childrenandyoungpeople/index.htm

regards
Kate