Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

The incorporated speech read as follows—

Amendment 7/8 —grouped together

Domicile of child

Unless it is shown to be detrimental to the best interests of the child, Family First believes the child should live with both parents equally during the time the court considers an application about where the child lives.

The financial implications to either parent of joint residency is not sufficient reason for denying a child’s right of residency with each parent and should not be taken into account by the court.

Family First believes the court should not recognise interim orders that establish the ‘status quo’ and deny a child’s right to equal parenting time.

There is also a very reasonable requirement that parents give each other notice of a parent’s plan to move a child to a new location for more than 30 days. In other words, parents have to keep each other informed.

In the absence of an order to the contrary, a parent who has the child living with him or her shall notify the other parent if he or she plans to change the location of the child for more than 30 days, unless there is written consent to the change.

I ask Senators for their support for these amendments.