Kids are our future

The absence in Australia of a national agenda that prioritises children’s rights across the country, developed in consultation with children, undermines the wellbeing of Australian children.

Currently, children’s policies in education, health and protection differ across the states and territories. Likewise, the role of existing state and territory children’s commissions varies between jurisdictions. Some take a broad focus on enhancing children’s wellbeing in the community while others concentrate on children and young people at risk.

This lack of cohesion means that insufficient attention is given to children and young people in the national, political arena. Australia needs a long-term, national plan for all children to raise their status and importance in society.

In 2005, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that Australia adopt a national framework for children, enshrined in federal legislation, to make state-based children’s polices more consistent to increase accountability.

But children continue to fall off the radar on broad policy issues.

Maybe this stems from a fear that child rights somehow infringe on the rights of parents. Policy-makers need more focus on families and recognise the specific interests of children.

A national children’s commissioner that promoted the rights of the children and young people, a policy proposed by the Democrats and the Labor Party before taking office, would provide national leadership and monitor and advocate for the wellbeing of Australian children. The commissioner should be an independent statutory officer with powers and authority determined after community consultation and enshrined in legislation. Importantly it would ensure that children do not continue to fall through the cracks in government policy.

But for a national children’s commissioner office to be truly effective, it would need the resources and the scope to provide an independent voice for children on issues such as cyber-bullying, sexualisastion of children in the media, Indigenous disadvantage, education and domestic violence.

Poverty, child abuse, poor education standards and social disadvantage can’t be effectively tackled without recognising the value of children in the community. This means giving them a voice at a national level and properly addressing children’s rights to promote their growth and development.