The Liberal Government is committed to protecting the vulnerable, especially Tasmania's children.
The role of the Commissioner for Children is vitally important to this.
After taking office, we took decisive action to strengthen the role of the commissioner by extending the term from three to five years.
We also strengthened the Statement of Duties, which made it quite clear that changes were being made across the scope and responsibility of the role based on the recommendations of the Advocacy for Children in Tasmania Committee.
Following these changes, we began the search to find a dedicated and passionate professional who could provide strong advocacy support for Tasmania's children and young people.
Today, I am pleased to announce that Mark Morrissey has been appointed Tasmania's Commissioner for Children.
Mr Morrissey is currently Western Australia's Executive Director, Child and Adolescent Community Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Prior to this role, Mr Morrissey was the Director of Child Protection Operational Policy, where he was involved in developing best practice and model of service delivery to children and young people who have been subject to sexual and physical abuse. This model was a finalist in the WA Premier's Awards for innovative and leading community services.
Mr Morrissey has extensive experience in engaging respectfully with families and children and to empower them to be more involved in life decisions and planning; leadership roles across the acute, community and social sectors, and working in service delivery and policy development.
Mr Morrissey has previously worked in Tasmania as the Family Services Program Director in Northern Tasmania and has then worked in remote, rural and metropolitan areas across Western Australia and New South Wales.
Mr Morrissey has extensive and demonstrated experience as an effective leader and change agent, across a wide range of child related community and acute services and I look forward to working with him when he commences in the role of Commissioner for Children towards the end of next month.
Under the Labor Government, four commissioners and two acting commissioners came and went between 2004 and 2013. That's an appalling record, especially as one acting commissioner lasted only one day.
We did not want to see future commissioners leaving the job and expressing frustrations about Tasmania and the role.
That's why it was critical that we did due diligence and took the time to make sure the recruitment process for this very important position was right and that the right person was selected for our children's sake.