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Gippsland Parents To Be Penalised For Child InvolvementParents throughout Gippsland will be financially penalised for volunteer work within their children’s sporting or social clubs if proposed laws are introduced by the Bracks Labor Government. By Philip Davis - 31st March 2005 - Back to News Liberal Member for Gippsland Province Philip Davis said parents would think twice before becoming involved in their child’s extra-curricular activities if the Working with Children laws went ahead.
"Under the Bracks Government’s proposal, parents will only be exempt from the checks if the volunteer work they undertake directly involves their child," Mr Davis said.
"Parents involved in supervising footy training one night a week, or coaching the local soccer side, will only be permitted to supervise a group of children if their own child is involved in this group – unless they have a current Working with Children assessment.
"You will have the situation where a local mother will be permitted to umpire her daughter’s under 10 basketball game, but umpiring a game in the Under 12s would be out of the question.
"Then you have the associated costs associated with these checks – the parents and the clubs are expected to cough up."
Mr Davis said the proposed legislation would also force children aged 14 and over to under go the Working with Children check if they are involved in a supervisory role of children.
"Young teenagers who earn some extra pocket money after school and on weekends coaching and umpiring younger children in their sporting activities will also be stung," Mr Davis said.
"These youngsters will then be expected to forfeit what little money they might make performing this community service to pay for these checks to be undertaken, or the clubs utilising their services will have to bare the costs."
Mr Davis said parents should be encouraged to participate in their children’s extra-curricular activities, penalising them for this involvement isn’t the answer.
"The Bracks Government is making it too difficult for volunteers of any capacity to assist in their local communities," Mr Davis said.
"Labor needs to see common sense on this issue.
"Working with Children checks should be mandatory for all adults undertaking paid work with children, but checks for those donating their time should not be mandatory.
"The individual organisations should be given the choice as to whether they require all their volunteers to have checks conducted."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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