JourneyOnline
Family First wants the Rudd Government to make Family Impact Statements public when the new Parliament sits next week, party leader Steve Fielding said today.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised Family Impact Statements for every Cabinet decision. But Senator Fielding said these statements would be useless unless they are made public so families can read them.
“Family First believes these statements should not be locked in government drawers,” Senator Fielding said.
“Family Impact Statements are for the kitchen table, not the Cabinet table, so families can understand exactly how big decisions made in Canberra are going to impact on them and their daily lives.
“It is ridiculous to think the previous government prepared Family Impact Statements but made them secret Cabinet documents which can’t be viewed for 30 years. This is a test of whether the Rudd Government is really fair dinkum about being family friendly and transparent.”
In 2004 Family First proposed Family Impact Statements for every Cabinet decision to help families make up their own minds on an issue.
“At the moment families can only speculate on how Government decisions will impact on them. Australian families deserve an open and up-front Government,” Senator Fielding said.
Photo : NATIONAL NEWS
