Tiahleigh Palmer murder case sparks State Government independent review

UPDATE: AS the government announces an expanded review into the child safety system because of the Tiahleigh Palmer case, there are renewed calls for the Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman to be sacked.

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OPPOSITION Leader Tim Nicholls has called for Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman to be sacked and criticised Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s announcement of setting up an independent expert panel as not going far enough.

The State Government today ordered that an independent expert panel would review Queensland’s child safety system in the wake of Logan schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer’s death.

The panel will look into the performance of the department and provide advice on the implementation of reforms to foster carer approvals and blue card applications.

“My Government is determined to make whatever improvements necessary to the operation of foster care and blue cards in Queensland,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

But Mr Nicholls said the review would leave a lot of unanswered questions.

“In essence, this is the review you have when you don’t want to have a full independent inquiry,” he said.

“So far, all we have seen is a political response to a problem that is increasingly widespread throughout Queensland.”

Mr Nicholls said the Premier should have returned from leave earlier during the week to address the issue in the child safety system.

“It’s not good enough to leave it to a minister who has obviously failed,” he said.

Mr Nicholls said he wanted an independent inquiry that could call witnesses and report to the parliament.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announcing an independent expert panel to examine the QLD child safety system #qldpol pic.twitter.com/ULP4gdcGdb

— Anthony Templeton (@anto_templeton) September 25, 2016

Ms Palaszczuk has cautiously backed her minister, who was not at today’s review announcement, and said she had fought for extra resources to boost frontline services

“There has been nothing that has indicated to me that she is not fulfilling her ministerial responsibilities,” she said.

“The reason she is not at the press conference … (is) she’s meeting with the expert panel.

“But, also too, that expert panel, through the commissioner will also be doing a thorough department of child safety and I believe it would be inappropriate for her to be here.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the review panel will work with the Queensland Family and Child Commission, which is already undertaking a review into information sharing between agencies to better protect children.

The panel will include former Queensland Department of Communities director-general Linda Apelt, Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston, former police assistant-commissioner of ethical standards command Paul Doyle and Foster Care Queensland executive director Bryan Smith.

“To support the work of the Commission, my government has appointed an expert panel to have input into the Commission’s inquiry, its recommendations and implementing those recommendations,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Ms Johnston said she already had one reform she wanted enacted - to mandate photos on all blue cards.

“I really want to get in and have a look at (the system), and have a look from the very bottom up,” she said.

Tiahleigh Palmer.

Queensland Family and Child Commissioner Cheryl Vardon said it was unfortunate that the Logan schoolgirl’s death was the catalyst for improving child protection in the state.

“I do want to remember Tiahleigh Palmer as well … the tragic circumstances of her death and think of the shame, if you like, that she had to die to bring about change in our system,” she said.

“But we are continuing this process of rigorous examination and reform to all parts of the child protections system.

“In this examination we want to make sure that Queensland children are more than safe and that’s an important thing for us to remember.

“As our examination and our investigation progresses with the help of our expert advisory panel, if we see something that needs fixing, at any particular time or immediately, then we will make sure that we consult and ensure that change happens.”

Ms Vardon said reviewing the blue card and foster care approval systems were critical to ensuring a rigorous child protection system while longer-term reforms were being enacted.

“It is sad to think that children die while reform is progressing,” she said.

Ms Vardon said the review would not work against the recommendations in the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry, which was done by Tim Carmody QC in 2013.

“There are major reforms happening, we are part-way through the reform process,” she said.

“We know now that as part of those reforms we need to look more closely at blue cards and foster care assessments and that’s what we are doing.

“It’s not reviewing whole systems again.”

Meanwhile, new figures show that rather than deter people the Tiahleigh Palmer murder case has prompted an increase in the number of those looking into becoming foster carers.

Foster Care Queensland executive director Bryan Smith on Sunday said last week’s breakthrough in the Tiahleigh case had caused the number of people inquiring about becoming a foster carer to skyrocket.

“And what we have noticed since Wednesday last week is that we have seen a doubling in inquiring on the recruitment line, which is quite extraordinary,” he said.

“We are currently getting around 30 inquiries a day for foster day.”

Mr Smith said the increase in interest was “absolutely fantastic”.

Mr Smith said only about 20 per cent per cent of the people who inquire about becoming a foster carer ended up in the system.