• I am concerned by the extreme power FACS NSW has over vulnerable citizens with zero visibility and no independent organisation overseeing its policies and practices.

 - Whereas the Police has an independent Integrity Commission, and even the ICAC has an independent Inspector, FACS only has an internal complaints line which appears to feed directly back to the manager involved.
 - Despite being referred via their website to the Anti-Discrimination Board and ICAC, neither of these organisations has any jurisdiction to act.
 - As a government institution, the department has additional protection, making it not worthwhile for lawyers to pursue in cases of improper conduct or wrongful removal.
 - There is no Legal Aid support for parents (especially those with disabilities or mental health issues) until their children are removed.

There is a need for a child protection system to apply the Convention on the Rights of the Child, however it must have public visibility and accountability to ensure their statutory mandate does not exceed its bounds.

I am, therefore, petitioning the NSW Minister of Family & Community Services to establish such an agency, independent of FACS, to ensure the Convention on the Rights of the Child is properly and appropriately applied.