Tuesday 2 June, 2020
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk must take responsibility for the systemic and shocking failure of Queensland’s child protection system revealed in today’s Coroner’s report into the death of toddler Mason Jett Lee.
LNP Shadow Health Minister and Act for Mason patron Ros Bates said the Palaszczuk Labor Government could not be allowed to pass the buck to individuals within the Department of Child Safety.
“The system should have saved Mason Jett Lee, but instead it left him to be killed by a monster,” Ms Bates said.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government should be ashamed of its failure to protect Mason and all the kids who have died needlessly in the last five years.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk must take personal responsibility for once.
“The buck stops with the Premier.
“The child protection system is broken from the top down.
“Labor has shown time and again that it is incapable of fixing the system. We are seeing more disturbing cases all the time.
“We need a new government to fix this mess and properly protect vulnerable kids.”
LNP Shadow Child Safety Minister Stephen Bennett said the Coroner’s report had condemned the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s failure to implement key recommendations from the 2013 Carmody Commission of Inquiry.
“We need an overhaul of our child protection system, but Labor has shown it is incapable of delivering it,” Mr Bennett said.
“Adoption should be considered for poor kids like Mason Jett Lee. Our system should make protecting vulnerable kids its top priority.
“Sadly, Labor is more interested in protecting themselves than protecting vulnerable kids.”
