KG: A short time ago I spoke to the head of the Family Responsibilities Commission, magistrate David Glasgow. David, thanks for your time. There's been a lot of concerns about reasons for children missing school. What does the FRC deem as a reasonable excuse?

David Glasgow, FRC Commissioner: It's not for us to do that. What has happened is that the Government and the institute and the communities have got together and worked out a set of guidelines. Those guidelines are fairly severe. They are a little bit stricter than those that are normally applicable in State public schools. And effectively parents are obliged to let the school know very soon into the day that someone's not going to school and the reason for it, and then it's the decision of the teachers as to whether that's an acceptable excuse. And if it's not an acceptable excuse they are marked as being absent. Once three unacceptable explanations have been provided on three days then a notice is given to the commission are we have the right to bring people before us for a conference. So when we have these conferences and people are obliged to send their children back to school and to protect them, and if they don't, then we'll quarantine their income. But we'll do it in a way so that everyone gets a chance. There will come before us at least twice before we quarantine their income.

KG: Is the FRC taking into account cultural sensitivities?

David Glasgow: The community themselves will resolve what is a reasonable expectation but the old days of people just disappearing for two and three and four weeks and then coming back and saying, "We've been to a funeral," obviously won't be accepted.

KG: The FRC has just started its community hearings. Why are the hearings taking place when the infrastructure isn't in place yet?

David Glasgow: Many of the services can be delivered without the necessity of buildings. We are using part of the old health building. We sat the other day in the church hall. I don't need a fixed building to have a conference and neither do specialists need specific buildings to go and interview clients, as long as they have got privacy and as long as those services are there. That's what we need.

KG: Communities appear to be very confused about the FRC and its powers and purpose. Why wasn't there more consultation?

David Glasgow: There was proposals and consultation by the Institute over the last 12 months. Prior to that, putting out the proposal into the community. So the administration and many of the elders of the community were consulted at that time, and so were members of the community to decide whether they would be involved in welfare reform, which included the commission, and those four communities decided. And I don't to waste any more time to go out and tell people what they should do about their children. If they're not doing what is the reasonable thing, and that is sending them to school, feeding them, protecting them and making sure they're not interfered with, then it's too bad - I'm going to act. And I think that's the view of the commissioners out there, that they've had enough, they have waited long enough for this to come in and they want it undertaken.

KG: How will this process be monitored to ensure it's actually working?

David Glasgow: We have external independent monitors who are going to review us and review what we do. We'll provide them with statistics and access to our files on a confidential basis.

KG: David Glasgow, thanks very much for your time.

And that was David Glasgow, head of the Family Responsibilities Commission speaking with us here in Cairns.

KG: A short time ago I spoke to the head of the Family Responsibilities Commission, magistrate David Glasgow. David, thanks for your time. There's been a lot of concerns about reasons for children missing school. What does the FRC deem as a reasonable excuse?

David Glasgow, FRC Commissioner: It's not for us to do that. What has happened is that the Government and the institute and the communities have got together and worked out a set of guidelines. Those guidelines are fairly severe. They are a little bit stricter than those that are normally applicable in State public schools. And effectively parents are obliged to let the school know very soon into the day that someone's not going to school and the reason for it, and then it's the decision of the teachers as to whether that's an acceptable excuse. And if it's not an acceptable excuse they are marked as being absent. Once three unacceptable explanations have been provided on three days then a notice is given to the commission are we have the right to bring people before us for a conference. So when we have these conferences and people are obliged to send their children back to school and to protect them, and if they don't, then we'll quarantine their income. But we'll do it in a way so that everyone gets a chance. There will come before us at least twice before we quarantine their income.

KG: Is the FRC taking into account cultural sensitivities?

David Glasgow: The community themselves will resolve what is a reasonable expectation but the old days of people just disappearing for two and three and four weeks and then coming back and saying, "We've been to a funeral," obviously won't be accepted.

KG: The FRC has just started its community hearings. Why are the hearings taking place when the infrastructure isn't in place yet?

David Glasgow: Many of the services can be delivered without the necessity of buildings. We are using part of the old health building. We sat the other day in the church hall. I don't need a fixed building to have a conference and neither do specialists need specific buildings to go and interview clients, as long as they have got privacy and as long as those services are there. That's what we need.

KG: Communities appear to be very confused about the FRC and its powers and purpose. Why wasn't there more consultation?

David Glasgow: There was proposals and consultation by the Institute over the last 12 months. Prior to that, putting out the proposal into the community. So the administration and many of the elders of the community were consulted at that time, and so were members of the community to decide whether they would be involved in welfare reform, which included the commission, and those four communities decided. And I don't to waste any more time to go out and tell people what they should do about their children. If they're not doing what is the reasonable thing, and that is sending them to school, feeding them, protecting them and making sure they're not interfered with, then it's too bad - I'm going to act. And I think that's the view of the commissioners out there, that they've had enough, they have waited long enough for this to come in and they want it undertaken.

KG: How will this process be monitored to ensure it's actually working?

David Glasgow: We have external independent monitors who are going to review us and review what we do. We'll provide them with statistics and access to our files on a confidential basis.

KG: David Glasgow, thanks very much for your time.

And that was David Glasgow, head of the Family Responsibilities Commission speaking with us here in Cairns.