Thursday, 28 November 2024

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (18:11): (1337) My adjournment matter for the Minister for Children concerns extraordinary failings of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) revealed in a recent shocking decision by the Victorian Children’s Court. I recognise the sensitivity of this matter. I raise it with the permission of the father but will not reference identifying details. I seek only to highlight the incredible findings of the magistrate. They must be heard loud and clear by clinicians and social workers. This is a terrifying story. No-one involved, save the children, comes out unblemished, and we should recognise that dealing with troubled families is incredibly stressful and difficult. But this decision reveals some incredibly troubling findings. It is Kafkaesque.

A father acting as a single parent, as the mother was abroad, had care of two children who had recently immigrated and were naturally lonely and finding life hard. He sought care for his elder daughter and indeed paid for it himself. Unfortunately, he came up against medical and child protection elements who believed their own unproven views and prejudices should trump his rights as a father. He supported his daughter’s referral to the Royal Children’s Hospital for treatment for autism and ADHD. He was not told the child had been referred to the gender clinic, despite guidance saying parents must know and be present. It is clear he was deliberately deceived. His understandably furious response was used as justification for the removal of his children from his care and his committal for psychiatric assessment, which ultimately found his response to be an unsurprising result of his treatment by the authorities, not caused by mental illness. It appears his biggest crime was to disagree with those who think dysphoria treatment is the only solution. They saw his resistance as harmful to his child; he saw it as fighting for their future and understandably was driven to react. This father is an informed and reasonable man. He even said that if the treatment for gender dysphoria were to work, he would support it for his daughter, but there is no evidence it does.

An extraordinary 12-month legal battle has now vindicated him and criticised the behaviour of the DFFH staff and certain Royal Children’s Hospital clinicians. It is a terrifying window on what can happen to those who oppose fanatical ideological activists masquerading as health professionals and social workers. Minister, the action I seek is that you order an immediate review of your department’s actions in this case and follow up with how many other cases like this there are.