Families Commission cancels summit

Statement from Chief Commissioner Jan Pryor

It's been well known that the Commission has been planning a summit for over a year that would bring together leading representatives of all sectors of society to set an agenda for action that would see families needs put first in decisions in the workplace, government, and communities. In the past month or so it has become clear that the agenda needed to focus more on responses to the developing economic crisis. However, at the same time there is an increasing need for government agencies to keep an extremely tight lid on all spending. We have been reviewing the situation and were hoping to gain more sponsorship that would help reduce our own costs, but this has not been possible. It is clear that the summit is not the most appropriate way to proceed at this point.

The Commission has therefore cancelled its plans for the summit but remains committed to ensuring there is a whole-of-society response to the economic situation that ensures the impact on families is kept to a minimum.