Fed: Howard names children as key reform agenda for thrid term

AAP General News (Australia)
12-23-2001
Fed: Howard names children as key reform agenda for thrid term

By Denis Peters and Krista Hughes

CANBERRA, Dec 23 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard today named social welfare reform
aimed at helping disadvantaged children as a key theme for the coalition's third term.

Mr Howard said he wanted to transform the way families, expectant mothers and young
children were affected by government policies before he retired.

"We immunise children as a preventative health measure," Mr Howard said in newspaper interviews.

"This project is providing them with the assistance necessary to give them the right
social immunisation.

"Early intervention in cases where children are at risk may have enormous social and
economic benefits."

Children and Youth Services Minister Larry Anthony will oversee the reforms, with proposals
for change to be assessed by a high-level departmental taskforce in the new year.

Child health expert Fiona Stanley has proposed extensive tests for four-year-olds to
identify developmental or learning problems.

Free child care for low income families is another proposal set for consideration by
the taskforce, headed by Family and Community Services Department executive director Robyn
Mackay.

A spokeswoman for Mr Anthony said there would be a whole-of-government approach to
children's policy, involving the Departments of Family and Community Services, Health,
Education, Industry, Prime Minister and Cabinet and Attorney-General.

"This is setting the agenda by the prime minister and it will be a priority in the
new year for us," she said.

"For the first time we've got a minister for children to coordinate all of that."

The taskforce would consult with stakeholders including the Australian Early Childhood
Association, the National Institute For The Early Years and the states.

Recommendations were expected to be made to the prime minister within months.

Labor accused Mr Howard of borrowing its election policy on children and families to
make it look as if he had an agenda before he retired.

Opposition family and community services spokesman Wayne Swan backed the reforms but
said he wanted to see Mr Howard's comments were supported by action and money.

"This might be a case of imitation being the insincerest form of flattery because the
Prime Minister has had six years in denial, denying the fact that we have substantial
problems with families and with children," he told reporters.

"If they are now converting to Labor's program of early assistance to families, let's
see some substantial backup so that we can invest in Australia's families for the future."

Welfare agency Anglicare said if the government wanted to improve services, it had
to put in more money than it had cut out.

"They all sound nice words, as long as it is not a sort of substitute for not dealing
with employment issues, and not a substitute for encouraging women to stay at home and
out of the workforce," chief executive Reverend Ray Cleary said.

Australian Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja said the government had to tackle
the root causes of poverty, including unemployment, homelessness, lack of public housing
and inadequate health care.

AAP kmh/jmd/de

KEYWORD: HOWARD KIDS SECOND NIGHTLEAD

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.