Submission to Family Court Reform Bill
The Salvation Army's Submission to Parliament.
> download submission to the Family Court Reform Bill (PDF, 54 KB)
The Government estimates that the proposed reforms to the family court system will save over $70 million over the next four years and cut the number of cases proceeding through to the family court by 4,000 cases per year. Streamlining this system could have its benefits.
There are specific provisions in the Bill that we are supportive of, but in general we urge this committee to oppose the passing of this Bill into law. These are detailed in our submission.
We contend that on this occasion, the costs and potential damaging effects of this Bill far outweigh the benefits. These reforms might or might not save money. But they will certainly cause, if this Bill is passed, greater damage and harm to children, families and communities.