00:00Well, Joe, it was a collection of experts.
00:05So there were paediatricians, there were researchers, there were various members from different
00:10departments, including the coroner, the deputy coroner was part of it.
00:13We had representatives from the education department, representatives from territory
00:18families and other representatives of various organisations relevant to the committee's
00:24work.
00:25So it was sort of, I suppose, a broad view, picking up, and again, there was a time issue.
00:31I mean, we recognise that the coroner sort of works off, the coroner does excellent work,
00:36but there's very much months or years involved in making a determination, whereas the committee
00:42could pick up an issue, look at it in a broad sense, and hopefully if there was a concerning
00:48issue coming up, we'd talk to the relevant authorities to try and correct something.
00:53So it was, and we sort of had meetings, regular meetings.
00:58We also had subcommittee meetings to sort of focus on a particular topic as the need
01:03arose.
01:04So can you point to any examples of its work over the years that you found really effective?
01:10Well, again, I think there was an issue that arose with children sleeping with parents and
01:15the potential for SIDS coming from that.
01:18And we actually looked at a specific sleeping pod that children could use that may be more
01:25safe for them and hopefully prevent a SIDS occurrence, as an example.
01:30But again, we looked at, I suppose, a broader population base rather than individual issues.
01:35And I suppose the coroner, through their work, I mean, they have to work, look at reportable
01:40deaths.
01:41I'm not sure if their new mandate allows them to look at other deaths, but we looked at every
01:44child death in the territory, whether it was a reportable death or some other unfortunate
01:48thing, such as a disease.
01:50We could also look at deaths outside the territory.
01:52So children who were sent to hospitals interstate and unfortunately died there, we could potentially
01:58get that data as well to sort of inform ourselves.
02:00And I'm not quite sure if the NT coroner is allowed to do that.
02:04So did it feel like this body was effective in preventing some deaths in the Northern Territory?
02:12We felt it was, and we felt, you know, we had to provide a report every year.
02:16There was, I mean, over the life of the committee, there was a series of reports which looked at
02:21the, I suppose, the evolution of child deaths, whether they were improving or not improving,
02:27and potential causes that may be remedied.
02:29So yeah, there was a, we felt we were doing, or the group was doing important work in an
02:35overall surveillance issue.
02:37Yeah.
02:38And so how do you feel about this government decision then?
02:40Well, again, I think it's unfortunate that the committee was sort of uncomfortably sat
02:45with the Attorney General.
02:47It really was a health committee rather than a legal committee, although it had a legal remit
02:52because it was part of legislation.
02:53But it would have been better placed as a health committee.
02:59And yeah, I mean, we certainly very much respect what the coroner does, but I think it's unfortunate
03:05that, you know, our focus was probably more of a health focus.
03:08I mean, some of the issues, you know, we dealt with health issues such as cancer, but also,
03:13you know, children who committed suicide.
03:16I mean, that is a very unfortunate issue, but it's also a health issue.
03:20And so, yeah, you've touched on this through your answers, but the government's argument
03:24is that the coroner's office can do the work of this committee.
03:29Why don't you think it can?
03:31Well, again, I think, again, we have a very broad range of people.
03:35I mean, I very much respect what the coroner does, but it's unlikely they'll be able to
03:40access the broad range of individuals involved in the committee for an individual, also an
03:48emerging population issue in respect to child health.
03:51And as I said, I'm not quite sure whether the coroner can...
03:54I mean, they have to obviously do reportable deaths such as suicides, but whether they can
03:58actually investigate other deaths that are not reportable, such as cancer, which is what
04:04our remit was.
04:05So, do you think the Northern Territory is all the poor of now for not having this body?
04:11Well, the AMA is certainly very, very concerned about the abolition of the committee, the AMA.
04:16And by the way, I'm the past president, not the current president.
04:19The AMA felt that it was, you know, this was a very important aspect and tied with also
04:25national initiatives.
04:26I mean, every other state and territory in Australia has a national...
04:29And also, there's a national child death committee.
04:32So, this committee was tied into a national initiative to try and prevent and reduce the
04:38number of child deaths.
04:40So, I suppose the territory's all the poorer for losing that broad range of expertise that
04:45was on the committee to review issues of child death, but also linking into the national agenda.
04:51So, there might be a few more questions, that I'm thinking about, that I've been listening to
04:54where this is a lot of stage.
04:56And I also think it's an important part of the administration.
04:57So, now we're asking people to do this for questions.
04:58I think that they are all the best.
05:00And that's most of the thing people are watching.
05:01It's just a lot of time.
05:02And we're also having to understand the second part of the administration.
05:04And we're asking people to make a challenge, that we can hook up the road in the
05:05area where we're
05:13to try to get back to the country.
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