CEO Can Ask Court for Child Family Orders; Fines or Jail for Breaking Family Responsibility Rules
Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026
Topics
child protection child safety criminal justice criminal penalties family law family responsibility family support services legal representation parental obligations worker screening
Introduced by: The Hon Robyn Cahill OAM, MLA (CLP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Robyn Cahill CLP
“Madam Speaker, I present a bill titled Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026, Serial 67, and table the explanatory statement. I move that the Bill be now read a first time.”
Chanston Paech ALP
“Madam Speaker, I rise today as the shadow minister for Child Protection to speak against the Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026. I begin with what should be common ground across this Chamber: every child deserves to be safe, and every child deserves to be protected from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect.”
Gerard Maley CLP
“Madam Speaker, I support the Bill. I would like to rebut some of the misconceptions and untruths the Member for Gwoja mentioned. He should be ashamed of himself for peddling information to the public--this is a public forum--as it is not true. He mentioned about the two years and after that there is no way to reunite with families. That is not true.”
Ed Smelt ALP
“Madam Speaker, I oppose the changes by the CLP government in the Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill. As the father of four young children, there is nothing more important to me than their wellbeing, growth, development and safety. I know that I share this desire with all members of the Chamber for the young people in our lives who we care deeply for.”
Joshua Burgoyne CLP
“Madam Speaker, the Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026 is important. Today I speak not only as the Member for Braitling and a minister in this current government but also someone who had the privilege of being a shadow Territory Families minister for four years.”
Matthew Kerle CLP
“Madam Speaker, this is hard Bill to talk about as it is personal for many of us. We are here because we have campaigned and connected with our communities and it is almost impossible to live in the NT and not see everyday the evidence of the previous government’s failed child protection system.”