Call For Family Services Enquiry Following Death

The Minister for Family and Community Services, Delia Lawrie, must do more than merely audit all high risk clients with Community Services, says the Territory Opposition.

"There must be a comprehensive inquiry into the capacity of FACS to deliver the necessary standard of care for its clients whilst ensuring a safe working environment for its staff,” says Deputy Opposition Leader, Terry Mills.

"That inquiry should be conducted by someone with no links to the Territory Government and must commence as soon as practicable.

"The audit of all high risk clients with Community Services announced by the Minister today is too narrow.

"Further, the 3 month timeframe the Minister has set for the audit is far too long. A properly resourced inquiry should be able to deliver its findings faster than that.

"The Minister has been reluctant to put her Department under the spotlight despite continual evidence of deep seated problems within it.

"In the interests of the safety of the children in FACS care, I urge the Minister to ask the hard questions and ask them now.

"The latest death leaves the Minister with no option but to find out exactly what is going wrong and why.”

2007-07-19