Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The minister referred in his remarks to stopping people from going overseas, which again is a welcome initiative. I wonder whether the minister could provide the House with information, tonight or on notice, as to how many non-custodial parents who have an outstanding debt with the Child Support Agency are living overseas already and how many of these cases are being actively followed by the Child Support Agency.

This matter is of some particular concern in my electorate, where there is a high degree of people from a non-English speaking background. When a relationship or a marriage breaks down, it is not unusual for one parent to return overseas and the children usually remain in Australia—and these issues do arise from time to time. I am interested in knowing how big a problem this is and whether the new initiative announced by the minister will in any way deal with that. Obviously, there are difficulties in conducting surveillance overseas, but does he have any strategies, either in this announcement or separately, to deal with the matter of overseas non-payers; and, if he does, what might they be?

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