WA: West blanks page to expose whitewash

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2006
WA: West blanks page to expose whitewash

PERTH, Aug 23 AAP - Perth's major newspaper has taken the unusual step of leaving its
front page blank to highlight what it claims is a state government cover up.

"This is the whitewash that is the (Premier Alan) Carpenter government's inquiry into
the death of 11-month-old Wade Scale and other children who died while being monitored
by the Department for Community Development", The West Australian newspaper says in an
otherwise blank space.

"The report will never be made public and we will not be told who gave evidence or
what they said."

Wade Michael Scale was found drowned in a bathtub at his home in Shoalwater, south
of Perth, on July 30, 2003, with diazepam, a prescription sedative, in his blood.

WA Coroner Alastair Hope was unable to determine whether the baby's drug-addicted parents
may have given Wade the drug to keep him quiet.

But he slammed state welfare authorities for failing to adequately protect the toddler
despite repeatedly raised concerns of relatives about the baby.

The West Australian newspaper says a state government inquiry into the deaths of Wade
and other children left with potentially dangerous and neglectful parents will be kept
secret.

Community Development Minister David Templeman says there have been three inquiries
into the case and they uncovered a range of errors that should not have occurred.

"The key issue that I see is that the department works under great pressure and we
have to make sure that we resource those staff so they can do the best job that they can
do," he told ABC Radio.

He said he was "100 per cent committed" to ensuring practices were put in place to
make sure that no more children were left in the care of unfit parents after concerns
were raised by families.

AAP lk/it/nf

KEYWORD: SCALE

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.