Bennett Paula: Family Courts Matters Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Bennett Paula: Family Courts Matters Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 02 September 2008. Volume:649;Page:18575. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
PAULA BENNETT (National) 
: 
 Thank you for the opportunity to just finish up quite quickly on the Family Courts Matters Bill. I suppose when we see that people are protesting outside judges’ houses and we see people protesting as to how they feel about the results they have had via the Family Court and when we have certainly had them all through our offices writing to us and certainly expressing their displeasure with the process they feel they have had then it is paramount that we get this stuff right that it is given due process and that it has been through the select committee process. 
As I have said earlier—and I want to reiterate it again—as far as I am concerned it is one of those processes where it is very hard to find winners. It is very hard to find anyone who comes out of this court process and feels like they have actually accomplished what they want to. At the end of the day my personal opinion would be that if one is not getting to spend as much time with one’s children as one possibly can and find something that actually is equitable for both parties then it is always a bit of a shame for everyone involved. 
Overall in terms of the bill I think what has tried to be accomplished is to make the needs of the child paramount. I think at the end of the day that all sides of the House—certainly every party—were concentrating on what was best for the child. I think one sees that when we look at the Minister bringing in things around the Domestic Violence Act and the stuff that goes with those that have been introduced via the courts. There might not be many counselling services for the children but if one believes that every child has every opportunity to succeed then it does not matter how small the number is quite frankly. It is something that should be addressed in this bill and it is something that I am pleased we have seen introduced via it. I think mediation and how we introduce it is important in order to perhaps make people feel like they can talk a bit more easily and that has to be a plus when it comes to the bill. I think it is important that we give people options as to how they can actually go through this process which is a very emotional and often a very distressing process and actually make it as easy as we can. Of course I am one of those people who believe that keeping Government out of it and keeping the courts out of it wherever possible will actually mean a better result. But when that cannot happen for people and they have lost that ability to actually discuss it amongst themselves then I think that we see some of the changes through this bill and we are very pleased to be supporting that. Thank you.  
Clause 1 agreed to. 
Clause 2 agreed to. 
The Committee divided the bill into the Adoption Amendment Bill the Care of Children Amendment Bill (No 2) the Child Support Amendment Bill (No 2) the Children Young Persons and Their Families Amendment Bill (No 7) the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill the Family Courts Amendment Bill (No 2) the Family Proceedings Amendment Bill the Family Protection Amendment Bill the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Amendment Bill the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment Bill the Property (Relationships) Amendment Bill and the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Amendment Bill (No 2) pursuant to Supplementary Order Paper202. 
Bill to be reported with amendment presently.