Australian Children Call for Voice in Government

A group of Australian school children on Thursday called for a voice in the national government.

The students demonstrated at Parliament House in the capital of Canberra, seeking the appointment of a national children's commissioner.

The call came on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

With the help of a group of Canberra schoolchildren holding a large megaphone aimed at Parliament House, one child demanded that federal parliament listen to their plea.

The commissioner would be an independent statutory body that would ensure the laws and policies align with the convention, Save the Children spokeswoman Annie Pettitt said.

"Whilst ... each state and territory has a children's commissioner, they have very different mandates," she told Australian Associated Press.

Some have a broad focus on child wellbeing, while others have a narrow focus on child protection.

"And what we've seen is a lack of co-ordination in these areas.

"So a national children's commissioner would ensure that there's co-ordination across all states and territories and that all children in Australia have their rights respected and taken into consideration," Pettitt said.

Save the Children conducted a poll of 1,200 Australians and found that 78 percent believe there is a role for a national commissioner.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2009)