Australian Pollie shooting from the lip : Tony Zappia MP Federal Member for Makin

Dear Hanora,

The inquiry I refer to was the "Mulligan Inquiry" otherwise referred to as "The Children In State Care Commission Of Inquiry"

and"The Children In APY Lands Commission Of Inquiry".

Internal processes of The Church are matters for them to respond to.

Victims of sexual abuse should report the matters to the Police, whom then determine whether sufficient evidence exists

to prosecute the offender. The victim is not directed back to the Church. The Church is not above the law.

Regards,
TonyZappia MP
FederalMember for Makin
959North East Road, Modbury SA 5095 l Tel:08 8265 3100 l Fax: 08 8265 3900

----- Original Message -----

From: Zappia, Tony (MP)

To: Hanora Brennan

Sent: Friday, April 09, 2010 8:15 AM

Subject: RE: Separation of Church and State

 

Hanora,

 

Thank you for your e-mail.

 

My understanding is that if a report is made to the police, it will be investigated regardless of who the offender is.

 

If the investigation uncovers sufficient evidence then charges are laid.

 

In South Australia (my home State) there have been several prosecutions of child abuse relating to clergy and other

people in positions of authority. There has also been a lengthy public inquiry into child abuse.

 

I strongly urge any person who has been abused or who has knowledge of abuse to report it to the Police or to some

one  else who is in a position to follow the report up on their behalf

 

 

 

Regards,
Tony Zappia MP
Federal Member for Makin
959 North East Road, Modbury SA 5095 l Tel: 08 8265 3100 l Fax: 08 8265 3900

From: Hanora Brennan [mailto:bogtrotter@eircom.net]
Sent: Saturday, 3 April 2010 9:36 PM
To: Abbott, Tony (MP)
Cc: Zappia, Tony (MP); Wood, Jason (MP); Windsor, Tony (MP); Washer, Mal (MP); Vamvakinou, Maria (MP); danna.hughes.mp@aph.gov.au; Turnour, Jim (MP); Turnbull, Malcolm (MP); wilson.tuckey.mp@aph.gov.au; warren.truss.mp@aph.gov.au; Trevor, Chris (MP); Thomson, Kelvin (MP); Thomson, Craig (MP); Tanner, Lindsay (MP); Symon, Mike (MP); Swan, Wayne (MP); Sullivan, Jon (MP); sharman.stone.mp@aph.gov.au; andrew.soutchott.mp@aph.gov.au; alexander.somlyay.mp@aph.gov.au; Snowdon, Warren (MP); Smith, Tony (MP); Smith, Stephen (MP); Slipper, Peter (MP); Simpkins, Luke (MP); Sidebottom, Sid (MP); Shorten, Bill (MP); patrick.secker.mp@aph.gov.au; Scott, Bruce (MP); Schultz, Alby (MP); Saffin, Janelle (MP); Ruddock, Philip (MP); kevin.rudd.mp@aph.gov.au; Roxon, Nicola (MP); Robert, Stuart (MP); Robb, Andrew (MP); Rishworth, Amanda (MP); bernie.ripoli.mp@aph.gov.au; Rea, Kerry (MP); Randall, Don (MP); Ramsey, Rowan (MP); Raguse, Brett (MP); christopher.pyne.mp@aph.gov.au; tanya.price.mp@aph.gov.au; Plibersek, Tanya (MP); Perrett, Graham (MP); Pearce, Chris (MP); mielissa.parke.mp@aph.gov.au; Owens, Julie (MP); O'Dwyer, Kelly (MP); O'Connor, Brendan (MP); Oakeshott, Robert (MP); paul.neville.mp@aph.gov.au; shanyne.newmann.mp@aph.gov.au; Neal, Belinda (MP); Murphy, John (MP); judi.moylan.mp@aph.gov.au; Morrison, Scott (MP); Mirabella, Sophie (MP); darly.melham.mp@aph.gov.au; McMullan, Robert (MP); McKew, Maxine (MP); robert.mcclelland.mp@aph.gov.au; May, Margaret (MP); richard.maries.mp@aph.gov.au; Markus, Louise (MP); Marino, Nola (MP); jenny.macklin.mp@aph.gov.au; Macfarlane, Ian (MP); Livermore, Kirsten (MP); Lindsay, Peter (MP); susan.ley.mp@aph.gov.au; Laming, Andrew (MP); King, Catherine (MP); Kerr, Duncan (MP); Kelly, Mike (MP); Keenan, Michael (MP); Katter, Robert (MP); Johnson, Michael (MP); Jensen, Dennis (MP); Jenkins, Harry (MP); Jackson, Sharryn (MP); Irwin, Julia (MP); Irons, Steve (MP); Hunt, Greg (MP); Hull, Kay (MP); Hockey, Joe (MP); Hayes, Chris (MP); Hawke, Alex (MP); Hartsuyker, Luke (MP); Hall, Jill (MP); Hale, Damian (MP); Haase, Barry (MP); Griffin, Alan (MP); Grierson, Sharon (MP); Gray, Gary (MP); Gillard, Julia (MP); Gibbons, Steve (MP); petro.georgiou.mp@aph.gov.au; George, Jennie (MP); Georganas, Steve (MP); Gash, Joanna (MP); Garrett, Peter (MP); Forrest, John (MP); paul.flethcher.mp@aph.gov.au; joel.fitzgibbon.mp@aph.gov.au; Ferguson, Martin (MP); Ferguson, Laurie (MP); Farmer, Pat (MP); Emerson, Craig (MP); Ellis, Kate (MP); Ellis, Annette (MP); Elliot, Justine (MP); Dutton, Peter (MP); Dreyfus, Mark (MP); Debus, Bob (MP); D'Ath, Yvette (MP); michaelf.danby.mp@aph.gov.au; Crean, Simon (MP); Coulton, Mark (MP); Combet, Greg (MP); Collins, Julie (MP); Cobb, John (MP); Clare, Jason (MP); Ciobo, Steven (MP); Chester, Darren (MP); Cheeseman, Darren (MP); Champion, Nick (MP); Campbell, Jodie (MP); Byrne, Anthony (MP); Butler, Mark (MP); Burke, Tony (MP); Burke, Anna (MP); Broadbent, Russell (MP); Briggs, Jamie (MP); Bradbury, David (MP); Bowen, Chris (MP); Bishop, Julie (MP); Bishop, Bronwyn (MP); Bird, Sharon (MP); bruce.bilson.mp@aph.gov.au; arch.bidgood.mp@aph.gov.au; bob.bevin.mp@aph.gov.au; fran.baldwin.mp@aph.gov.au; kevin.bailey.mp@aph.gov.au; Andrews, Kevin (MP); anthony.albanese.mp@aph.gov.au; dick.adams.mp@aph.gov.au
Subject: Separation of Church and State

 

Dear Tony

 

I am part of a group of people here in Ireland who is campaigning for change in how governments throughout the world deal with the issue of child sex abuse.

 

You must be aware at this stage the sagas that have unfolded in this country regarding the same subject following the Murphy and the Ryan Reports; the former being of diocesan clerical abuse and the latter of industrial school sexual abuse which was proven to be endemic throughout the system.

 

We will soon be having Cardinal Pell visit to follow up on the Diocesan report; documentation in my possession proves that this man cannot be trusted where this subject is concerned.  I am asking that you have a meeting with this man regarding the allegations made in his former diocese where he was proven to be a liar (he, of course, would say otherwise, the euphemism used was an error!) as it's important that we have clear accountability and transparency in these matters going forward to the future.  Our government has had to admit their complicity in the abuses of the past here in Ireland.  That took great courage for such a small nation.  The Roman Catholic Church can learn from this and emulate our behaviour.

 

However, in Australia, the government refers the victims back to the church to deal with the clerical abuse complaints.  This is not good enough.  There are crimes being committed on your children and it is cowardly in the extreme not to deal with the subject however unpleasant it may seem.  Children must come first.  They are your future.

 

The time has come for the Church to knuckle down to the law of the land (after all, they were men before they reached their current exalted positions within the Church) and it's down to the politicians such as yourself to effect those changes.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Kind regards

 

Hanora Brennan

Mill Road

Inistioge

Co. Kilkenny

Ireland

 

P.S. I have cc'd this to the current Members of Parliament in the hope you could garner some support for this sensitive issue as it doesn't matter what side of the political divide your policies are; these could be your children we are fighting for.