[Australia] Queensland - Adoption Foster Care and the Rights of the Child - Andrew Shaw with Stephen Page

The Eminent Family Lawyer (and surrogacy expert) Stephen Page is interviewed by Andrew Shaw of the Gay News Network today. And it is a great interview giving a lot of clarity to what the proposed adoption reforms in Queensland will actually mean.


Read the full Q and A interview here.

What impact will legalising adoption for same-sex couples and singles have on the numbers of adoptions in Queensland?

Barnardos Australia suggests the new laws should encourage open adoption, do you agree?

If adoption becomes legal for same-sex couples and singles in Queensland, will it make it easier for LGBT long term foster carers to adopt? 

What are the barriers to adoption for long-term foster carers? What rights do the biological parents have? Whose rights predominate?What rights do foster carers not have that would be remedied if they could adopt? 

You said it’s very difficult for long-term foster carers to adopt. Why is that? What is NSW doing that we aren’t?

If it could be proven that the biological parents are happy with open adoption, would that be a win-win situation for everyone?

You make the point that stability is an issue with some foster children. Shouldn’t the law focus on the children’s best interests?

Read the full Q and A interview here.