Hunger Strike for UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In January, I will be going on a hunger strike in Melbourne to ask the question of government 'why' regarding the hiding of data about children's health and child protection and the culpability of government in accountability to children.

I am willing to be whistleblower because I can't live on, knowing that children in our country are not being provided the duty of care required under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Further that our Australian Constitution is a signatory to this.

I am very tired. Government enjoys spending on the 'sell' when the job saving of ministerial positions is their focus. But even those that are very honest and purpose driven ministers and senators, often don't get their ideas met because of many bureaucrats who love saying they run government, not the government of the day.

Instead of creating and monitoring policy, government has become a tech startup, wasting billions in trial and error and data grabbing of people's identities. Bureaucratic innovators stifle Australians, who are experts in their field of social services or program delivery, because they now enjoy spending 100's millions dollars being tech giants themselves with post it note creative sessions.

Government is supposed to be the lawmaker, the regulator of law it makes, the policy maker and an administrator of policy. It is supposed to spend its time making sure policy it creates is fulfilled - and with reverence. At what point did government become so unaccountable for the money it spends designing retail services with policy makers being the innovators? . Who regulates government with so much conflict of interest ever present?

If we look up 'Government', the results are:

'Government sets and administers public policy and exercises executive, political and sovereign power through customs, institutions, and laws within a state. A government can be classified into many types -- democracy, republic, monarchy, aristocracy, and dictatorship are just a few'.

https://www.australia.gov.au/about-gov…/how-government-works

Government has also turned into 24 hour reality TV with each other sitting on the spinning chairs while they listen intently to each other and judge 'The Voice' of each other. They have their public voting part of the show and the dramatic stories are pulled together with heart string music and cleverly edited direction for the viewer to decide on popularity, just in case the quality is not good enough. Government is now also the world's biggest reality TV. It has displaced even the largest audience TV show in the world 'The Bold and the Beautiful' because Government now has its own dedicated channels where they play commentary on everything. The celebrity status that some politicians enjoy has depleted any sense of measured decision making. Heck, they even take money as part of their celebrity pathway.

In the meantime... Child Story in NSW is a disgrace of children's lives being protected. Some 4 years ago, we showed the NSW government children who needed urgent assistance. they were rude to one of Australia's most esteemed scientists, of Nobel recognition, by saying 'what would you know about child protection in NSW'? Instead of respecting the information provided to them by a highly considered Australian, they didn't respect his identity, nor did they respect the identity of the children being provided to them. When we left the meeting, this scientist said to me 'Ruby walk away from this, it is too hard. Working with Government is too hard'. He was very upset as we got into the cab alongside other colleagues.

The Victorian Government did the same. They were provided '4' children who were in urgent need of help and they said 'we've got this covered' and 'I have been doing this for 17 years'. They refused to take the children even though we showed them the data on these children.

Mason Fletcher died on my watch. The Qld Govt knew of the children provided to them who were at severe risk of abuse and assault.

Chloe Valentine from SA could have been saved.

I cry on my own birthday for these children, on Christmas Day and on all days of family significance when I sit alone without any of my own to have looked after me. I know these children's fear. I am these children and I share a silk thread with them that only those who have lived it know of.

These children's terrible endings were political at the very least because governments couldn't untangle themselves from ambition, power and internal battling for control and recognition.

In 2014, Lucy Turnbull saw the data for NSW and asked the NSW gov to take a look. But when it hit bureaucracy the directors were rude, abusive to us and dismissive of the information. Children have died since.

I suffer daily knowing I carry these children's pain with me while the governments are busy selling themselves, making national apologies, redress schemes and building museums to horrors of the past.

I said to Malcolm Turnbull's office and Lucy Turnbull recently 'what about an Address Scheme, not just a Redress Scheme'? They thought it was a good premise, but within weeks Malcolm Turnbull is rejected from The Voice panelists. Nothing consistent but the audience should be accustomed to the entertainment world of culling non popular performers right?

Then state vs federal competition and parties in power within those states, comes into the mix. NSW dont want to be told by the commonwealth what they need. Even though the same Liberal side. The benefit to children and women is irrelevant. Its turf war.

A system that government paid for, that we as taxpayers paid for, the CSIRO/NICTA and multiple experts in the field of child protection including the dear Fiona Richardson collaborated on over years, that was assessed for National Benefit, scrutinised for accuracy, ethics, capability, that was created to provide oversight for children nationally where states hide data on child protection, that has evidence based analysis and which can provide the only non government information in priority of urgent need - has been overshadowed by bureaucrats who want to own the problem and build their own.

I am asking the Commonwealth Government to answer the question of ‘Why’ they are not providing Australian families with programs for Child Nutrition and Child Safety into children’s services as approved and ready to go. The programs are no cost for services, and provide certainty to families about the health and welfare of their children in childcare and schools. The programs are government funded, national assessed, CSIRO built and government approved, science proven and deliver basic human rights necessities of children's nutrition and child safety in children's services and schools.

Chloe Valentine could be alive. Mason Fletcher could alive. This was available to government before both those children died. Free to all institutions.

It's evident that Government Descriptions globally are not integral nor resonate with the governments of today. Their drivers are not about the children, when decisions are so politicised. This greed in Australian government hurts my heart so much. It is wholly heartbreaking to know individuals are making profound decisions on their positions over children and families in need. This affects all of us. Not just the vulnerable. As government is without governance, we are all at risk in needs being met in education, health, infrastructure, jobs, security.

Our children's health is the latest disgrace. The Dept of Health have given an obligation to me to include a health program in the new child care package which addresses chronic disease in adults. The Dept of Health has evidence that less than 5% of all Australian children's services are compliant with Australian Dietary Guidelines. Minister Hunt issued the instruction to rectify the requirement of standards to be integrated with the New Child Care Package called 'Jobs for Families' administered by the Department of Education. Yet, the Dept of Education clearly told us that the Dept of Health have no jurisdiction on Education and they are satisfied with the standards being met in childcare.

As a mum, I'd guess that families all over Australia would demand the Dept of Education follow instruction from the Dept of Health and address the alarming evidence of failure of duty of care to children under their legislative framework. The Department of Health and Greg Hunt got this decision right and the Dept of Education are giving him the middle finger. Considering it’s all one corporation, surely there would be unity in caring for children's health.

I would like to see the Dept of Education fulfill that contractual obligation from the Department of Health for children and educators. Under the terribly named 'Jobs for Families' legislation, surely Minister Dan Tehan wants working families to feel assurance that their child is being responsibly cared for as a priority and that Educator health and welfare is also of importance. If not, why not Honorable Minister Tehan?

At what point does government stand in shame for arbitrary decisions and hundreds of children's data being hidden. It is not just church groups etc, government is an institution who this very minute is ignoring child at risk and health information.

We have a PM who at 11am a couple of Tuesdays ago, stands up to say 'we will shine a spotlight on all government and institutions' and 'it is not acceptable for institutions to turn a blind eye anymore' on child safety. Yet at 11.41am, I received an email from the Commonwealth stating that the Commonwealth have no obligation in child safety. I think the PM and team were all still standing in the parliament declaring 'sorry' at 11.41, hugging survivors and back patting each other for the marvelous speech.

At 11.41 I was told ‘it’s time to get over your past Ruby and move on’ and that despite support from several politicians and high level departmental bureaucrats over several years, that 'this is the reality of politics'. And that ‘Ruby, you should know that, better than most’.

I think to tell a former ward of the state who was raped in the system, murdered by a father while in the system (revived by joggers), and still managed to come full circle to work in children’s services ‘to get over the past and move on’ is disgraceful and disrespectful. Especially at 11.41am on the day of the 11am apology.

I live and I have lived a good life, of worthy activity for a better world than I experienced. I was born into the system and the current government does not want to be answerable to me asking questions regarding the Child Care Package.

I am pushing for accountability and children’s futures. There is no excuse to write such an insensitive, hypocritical, unconscionable letter to me during the same hour of the apology. The PM said 'you shall not be forgotten' at 11am, but at 11.41am you will be asked to move on.

Flashback one week before the PM speech, I was in Canberra at the invitation of the Speaker of the House Tony Smith, to discuss with the Dept of Social Services, new people in the Dept of Education and the Speaker's office how the obligation of fulfillment to children was now confused with the constant turnover of government. We showed the Department of Education, DSS and the Speakers office, the data set of 340 children nationally out of 800,000 who are at high risk of abuse or neglect and the attempted effort regarding the contract from Dept of Health for child nutrition implementation into the Jobs for Families system.

'Brooke' another new adviser to the new minister Tehan told me that child protection is not the commonwealth's problem. It is a state problem. Apart from pleading the case for children at risk, and obligations being fulfilled to the community after 6 years of committed work with prior government teams, agencies and other contributors, she could only keep asking me 'do you want money'? I was offended and said 'no, the Department of Health has funded the nutrition program and the child protection program is charitable. How can children's lives become a discussion on money when she admitted to never seeing either program. Even as I cried with shock for Australian respect and our children, she got up and walked out, cold and uninterested in the data she just saw. A week later the PM says sorry to the nation.

Still children die. Women die. Every day people silently suffer or are not provided the duty of care that government promises but changes their mind on, discarding the investment of not just small business, but a girl in me who is triggered every single day I have worked on this solution for Australia. It is not just a throw away, to say to me 'its not our problem and your relationship with prior members of government has no bearing on today. There is no commitment for this as of today. And for my heart to feel in that moment, like running out of that Parliament House building in Canberra, and shouting out to Mason Fletcher how terribly sorry I am.

The grief that strikes me from a conversation with 'Brooke' illuminates why government should never own the problem, no matter commonwealth or state/territory. The problem of child welfare and child health must be decided by us, the people, because we care more about our children than the hammer throwers in government.

The Minister never even had the decency to see me, after all this relationship building and outcomes in science led evidence of improvement. He had no respect to even meet the person who has delivered something no one in government ever has. My question is, if a child suffers tomorrow and we had the means to intervene, how guilty is government of failing to implement a system that has proven to stop systemic abuse getting hold? I would say if a child dies tomorrow or suffers, my heart sinks with the commitment and love to that child and all those around that child. And the government will do an apology.

This government focuses on protecting their career positions over their obligation to all our children and women.

So, what does being called an Honorable Minister mean? As minister for Education, the new childcare package is ignoring child protection in its legislated mandate. In fact, I was told by the ‘Brooke’ that the child care package is a payments system and has nothing to do with child protection. Can someone please read the legislation and see if any of the following words appear 'Child Well-being', Child Protection, Child at Risk, Special Needs. I stated that the legislation clearly outlines the purpose of Child Well-being and equitable access as a core of its legislation but Brooke felt it necessary to cut me off at the pass. After all, what would I know, and who am I to question Brooke, an esteemed advisor to a very important Minister who is doing very important things for the nation. Funny that Lucy Turnbull once told me that 'you are doing very important things for the nation Ruby'.

The Department of Education are currently putting hundreds of vulnerable children at risk, despite knowing it has just read out an apology, and adopted a redress scheme and proposed a museum for horrors of the past. They are putting these children at risk by denying child at risk approvals under the new Child Care Package Australia wide. The government’s failure to build, implement and test systems and processes prior to legislative launch defies all the logic. It is a blatant breach of duty of care in my view because they were aware of the risk. They were aware they were not ready.

This legislation was rolled out because of an election potentially in October this year. Despite the severing on thousands of children in need and families who cannot pay children’s services, the government is ‘getting to’ at risk assessments. I personally and in front of multiple other people on multiple occasions warned the government over the last 12 months of their responsibility to special needs and at risk children, including the CCS day in which government in front of a 400 strong audience promised that is was working with me to be held accountable (and laughed).

Legislation release ahead of policy and process is unconscionable considering this is about children and vulnerable people. If a child is sick or becomes sick, or is hurt or becomes hurt during this failure to implement satisfactory policy, is the Commonwealth culpable? Without sounding dramatic, but obliging the words of the legislation around ACCS Child Wellbeing, government acknowledges the potential risk by recognition of and implementation for children at risk. Children are at risk of dying during this period and should it happen, is the Commonwealth culpable?

We as citizens rely on the brand named 'Government' to be full of wisdom, full of people who give up their ambition to serve our communities. But let's name those Ministers that truly fulfill that brand.

I'd have to say that the royal commission into banks, and institutions - administered by government, only raise one very important question: who runs a royal commission into government?

My feeling when I see some Ministers like Josh Frydenberg stand up and reprimand the banks for greed and non delivery to customers, is a mirror to government. I see a list of questions and enquiry blastings that could and should be asked of government. The list of complaints, false advertising, failed promises to customers, self serving individuals, conglomerate size, regulation failure, lying to people who bloody work hard and even those that just want a place of trust. The institutions generally event manage Australians in advertising campaigns for your reminder of trust to bank with them. This institutional power is primitive to conglomerate failures. And government event manages Australians for votes. And fails us in between.

I can't for the life of me find out 'who runs a royal commission into Government'? Does anyone know? And if we list the questions asked during all these institutional commissions and enquiries, and we state the reason for the enquiry in the same terms of reference which is similar across most enquiries... would we see that government is the shining standard that it portrays in response to ordering royal commissions on other institutions?

At what point does government stand culpable for failures to Australians - if its government who is the regulator of accountability? When children are sick or could become sick, or hurt or become hurt, due to failure to act by government, who is responsible? If the government knows information but turns a blind eye, are they culpable? If you listen to the Royal Commission into 'Institutional Response' into child abuse, one could think they state that institutions are culpable.

Kerryn Phelps, Jane Caro talk beautifully of active and urgent purpose activity or activism. Thank you Kerryn and Jane for stating all this so currently.

We must all be asking ourselves 'why do we think this is ok', for Govt to hide information from the public for their own purposes. The world is changing and we seriously need to question whether government respect identity of the people enough to share information with us, so as a nation 'we' can make informed decisions on matters of important social services while they go on The Voice.

I love my daughter, who is 12, so very much. She brings responsibility to my heart for all children as she reminds me daily of the beauty of innocence. She is the visual and emotional daily view of our nation’s children, and my commitment to her is my commitment to all our children.

If government won’t make responsible decisions for our children, who will? If we don’t ask the government ‘why’ they choose ‘no’ instead of yes regarding information they know and won’t share or action, then how are they accountable to our children?

I love humanity so very much, our gene pool is delicate and special and full of beauty and privilege. ‘We’ are the voice of our gene pool. We are the ones who must ask Government to be accountable to humanity, despite having no regulator who can question them without being paid for by the government.

Ultimately, as I choose to go down a path being a child born into the welfare system of government and now since having my own child, working with government to facilitate identity respect for all individuals who integrate with government from children, to aged, to working mum's and dads, I cannot be frightened of the government, as I ask them to be transparent in their decision making for our nation.

I do this to live and my daughter knows that I am compelled by my history to provide my dedication to Australians having the right to be an individual and respected by government, rather than cattle called under pretext of ‘that’s the system’.

The world is changing and we are all very capable of contributing to humanity, and governments need to ‘de conglomerate’ themselves, so they can start to recognise the value of individuals from all corners of our society. At the very least, I am driven by the rights of innocent people to expect decency and morality in the trust they place in government to provide health and welfare. And we all have people in our lives who need health or welfare so this hunger strike is for all of us to get an answer for our children first.