Youth Settlement Forum, Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network

Good morning everyone. I would like to pay my respects to and acknowledge the traditional owners and elders of the land on which we meet today.

Thank you to the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) for inviting me to open your first Youth Settlement Forum.

I commend the focus of today’s forum on the settlement needs of humanitarian young people in Western Australian.

I also acknowledge the important work undertaken by each of you in providing services and support to children and young people and their families who have settled in Western Australia.

I was appointed as Acting Commissioner for Children and Young People in WA in December 2013. As many of you will know I have worked throughout my career in the human services sector across local government, the community services sector and state government. Most recently I have worked with the Disability Services Commission before becoming director general of the Department for Communities in 2010.