Senate 2019

Tired of the corruption, the rorts, the deliberately designed decay of our social support systems - the attacks on the poor and vulnerable, and the absolute lack of responsibility, accountability, or justice, within Australia's Family Law and Child Safety systems, it's time people stood up, spoke up, and demanded change.

The Family Law Court & The Federal Magistrates/Circuit Court, are destructive and damaging -particularly the Federal Magistrates Court. It must be dismantled, and rebuilt in a form that respects the rights and wellbeing of our families and children. The current system is rife with corruption, and acts with impunity. Judges have a breadth of judicial discretion that now encompasses essentially anything within the realm of possibility.

Evidence is disregarded and decisions made based on a whim or a mood. They are largely unappealable, and follow up with families is non-existent. Children are being ripped from the arms of protective parents in order to live out their childhood in environments of neglect and abuse. Suicide is not unheard of. Drug use is common. Crime is on the rise.
Families are destroyed, finances are decimated and it takes years to be heard or to appeal.

It costs thousands just to file documents and transcripts are monopolised by a single company that charges more than any average family can afford. Homes are lost, families broken and children destroyed. Children leaving the system are pleading for change. Children within it are begging to be listened to.
Judges exist in a bubble of bias and ICLs and SEWs have been corrupted by the $$ for reports rort that sees many pumping out almost identical reports for one family after another, with no regard for outcome. Laws are ignored, rules disregarded, and the last thing that's focussed on is the genuine wellbeing of the child.

Child Safety is a disgrace is needs to be completely dismantled. Its underfunded, disjointed from other authorities and severely lacking in oversight. CSOs again, do what they want, with impunity.
They are pushed to 'close cases' not address them. They repeatedly fail children, often fatally. Their processes have long since gone the way of the dogs. Policy and procedure is something followed only when under scrutiny.

They often investigate themselves - not each other - themselves! Any wonder they find themselves innocent of wrongdoing.
The whole department needs to be rebuilt as a consistently trained, adequately funded, federal department of family and childrens safety -with appropriate oversight.

We must establish a restrospective Federal ICAC - to include politicians and those who manage donations and policy, the judiciary, and public servants, in that order.

Politicians pensions have been brought to an end for future candidates, now it's time to reduce the endless expenses that fund their personal wealth creation.

We must put an end to foreign ownership and foreign political donations that have taken over our major infrastructure and politicians, while having far too much influence on our property market, industry and trade.

We must invest in nation building infrastructure, apprenticeships and traineeships, drought-proofing our food bowl and regional areas, renewable energy production, environmental protection and remediation, and better planning for our residential communities, including mandatory minimum standards on sustainability.

We must accept that climate change is upon us, regardless of the cause - and embrace the changes, rather than endlessly, and unsuccessfully, fight against them. This means effective water management and regional infrastructure. It means crop transition. It means having to make some hard choices in order to build a sustainable future.

I believe we should reclaim Cubbie Station and turn it to a training, research & education facility- for agricultural and environmental development.

We need to address the change in rain patterns, and embrace plans for a nation building, drought-proofing, water movement and management system for the future - to future proof our agricultural industries, support our rural and regional communities, enable population decentralisation and provide the enormous, and much needed, employment opportunities it provides.

And we need to move forward with fitting out parliament house to enable remote attendance. This will facilitate mandatory voting on legislation whilst also enabling the reductions in exorbitant expenses claimed in the form of travel, meal allowances, accommodation allowances, & additional staff expenses, amongst others.