Child Support

I want to stop un-elected bureaucracy dividing family units by deciding what is fair and what is not. If two consenting adults come to an agreement in a written form, under no circumstances legally should Child Support be able to intervene or challenge such an agreement.

Too many times amicable separations have taken part, legal agreements put in place, only for the woke bureaucracy that is The Child Support Agency decide what a parent can pay for with regards to their own children, child support can decide that if one parent pays a lump sum, calculated to the age of 18, that that amount or payment should one parent disagree, cannot proceed.

Many times I have heard stories of lump sum payments at property settlement be made in lieu of Child Support on a weekly/monthly basis. Proof of such lump sum payment was extremely obvious to all but because the legal divorce/separation agreement did not clearly state monies paid was for Child Support, this has enabled aggressive partners to double dip by applying to Child Support in which this department is only too happy it seems to inflict as much distress as possible contributing to the need for AVO’s through major financial disputes that ensue.

In addition this intervention can be the catalyst many times in my opinion for domestic violence through inequitable outcomes and unfair financial burdens being placed on one parent and not the other. In some cases even resulting in one parent being denied access to their children.

Government departments like the Child Support Agency need to stick to calculating only what is reasonable as far as payments for Child Support for the term that it is needed to set a benchmark and should stay right out of trying to run people’s lives.

Governments and this agency have no right to get involved to such a degree that they do with regards to Child Support.

A vote for this Independent is a vote for major changes to the Child Support Act.

Domestic Violence Victims

• Zero tolerance with an understanding first approach to all family and domestic violence.
• Federal funding and specific domestic violence legislation will be created to ensure safety net services/support will be provided to all victims regardless of their age, gender or sexuality. This to include short term/longer term housing and employment opportunities.